


Oneshots of the Wild

by Zaypay



Series: Side Quests [3]
Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Age of Calamity, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crack, Don’t expect a consistent tone, Fluff, Humor, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Little Wild, Most of the time, and I loved botw, but it’s not wild centric, chapters revolve around wild, gang meets wild, i love flora, spoilers so read at your own risk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:42:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 52,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27635603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zaypay/pseuds/Zaypay
Summary: A collection of oneshots involving or centering around the characters and world of Breath of the Wild. Plus the Linked Universe gang!
Relationships: Flora & Everyone, Flora & Wild (Linked Universe), Hyrule & Wild (Linked Universe), Mipha & Prince Sidon, Sky & Wild (Linked Universe), Time & Wild (Linked Universe), Twilight & Wild (Linked Universe), Wild & Wind (Linked Universe), Wild (Linked Universe) & Everyone
Series: Side Quests [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2005042
Comments: 193
Kudos: 317





	1. Adventures of Zelda

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to this series of oneshots that updates at least once a week. Every chapter is unconnected, but I try not to contradict myself on previously established headcanons, unless it’s an AU.  
> Hope you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flora travels with the gang for a bit. Chaos ensues

Zelda, or Flora as they called her for convenience, had been traveling with this group of imbeciles for a week, and she still hated every moment of it. No, she loathed it. They were all idiots. She knew her Link, or Wild as they called him, wasn’t the brightest bulb in the box, but oh my goddess they were the most unintelligent people she’d ever known. Some were slightly more tolerable than others.

Besides Time, her favorite would have to be Twilight, a hero who she had heard myths about as a child. She was initially intimidated by his commanding presence and the legacy he had, but she found him to be similar to Time, only less knowledgeable. He sometimes seemed to lack even a basic understanding of simple things, like how many fish was enough and how to tell charred from raw meat, but she chalked it up to his upbringing in the country. 

Of course, her knight would always hold a special place in her heart that the others could never hold a candle too, but she couldn’t help but want to strangle him on more than one occasion. He seemed to make testing her patience a game and took actual pleasure in tormenting her. Flora found she could relate to Twilight in that matter, and the two often shared exasperated glances over dinner as Wild recounted his day.

She’d elected to travel with the group when they first arrived in Flora and Wild’s Hyrule in order to conduct more research on the land and their own characteristics. At least, that’s what she told them. In reality, Flora wanted to scope them out, see if they would really take care of her champion while he ventured on another journey across time. Not that she didn’t trust him to protect himself: Flora just didn’t want to see her friend hurt again. He’d already gone through so much, too much, she needed to make sure he wouldn’t have to experience anything similar ever again.

Today was one of those days, though, where she’d wished she stayed behind. Flora and Twilight stealthily followed the troublemakers (Wild, Wind, and Hyrule) to the top of a cliff. Time asked Twilight and Warriors to keep an eye on the group while he and Four went to town to buy supplies. The three youngest heroes had tried to slip out undetected, but Hyrule’s clumsy nature alerted Twilight, who brought Flora along with him to reprimand the boys for whatever they were up to. She followed gladly.

They hid in the bushes and watched as Wind and Hyrule pushed a large boulder up the slope to the edge of the cliff, where Wild was lifting something with magnesis. He eventually got it up, and it Flora was shocked to see it was a large metal box in a minecart. He set it down cautiously to the side and gesticulated widely to the two heroes, who hung onto his every word. She would’ve laughed at the sight or taken a picture if she hadn’t been so worried as to what her knight was planning. 

He handed the Sheikah Slate to Wind and gave a large sledgehammer to Hyrule. Flora thought the boy looked to thin to be able to handle such a large weapon, but he picked it up with ease. Wind pointed the slate at the boulder, activating stasis, while Hyrule proceeded to hit it as many times as possible in the short span of time. The runes released, and the boulder went flying through the air, no doubt destroying a nearby house. Flora heard a frustrated breath beside her and immediately sympathized with Twilight. She’d have to give Wild a stern talking to about misusing the slate later. 

Wind celebrated with a chorus of cheers while Wild simply laughed at Hyrule’s amazement. Wind handed him back the Sheikah Slate and they moved over to the mine cart and box. Wild handed the traveler his paraglider and Wind kept his Deku leaf at the ready. The three climbed on top of the metal box and waited. What Flora saw next nearly gave her an aneurysm.

Wild activated the magnesis rune, lifting the mine cart below them into the air and the box they were standing on along with it. They flew through the air on Wild’s flying machine, moving away from the cliff and soaring across the sky. Flora nearly passed out while Twilight sprinted out of the bush, screaming for them to stop and come back. They only cackled like witches as they flew further and further away, fading into the horizon becoming a speck in the distance. Twilight turned to her, his face burning with rage.

“I’m going to strangle them all.”

Flora couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

━━━O━━━

The two headed down to the river to try and unwind. Twilight remembered he’d brought his fishing rod in some cruel stroke of fate in Flora’s eyes and decided it was the perfect time to do a bit of fishing. He pulled his rod from goddess knows where and cast the line into the water. Flora sighed as she watched the end of it bob up and down.

“Are they always like this?” She asked as Twilight quickly reeled in his catch and placed it in a bucket he seemingly materialized out of thin air.

“Sadly, Yes. Your lucky you weren’t here for the beginning of our adventure together. If you think they’re bad now...” he whistled as he brought in his third catch. The man seemed to be a magnet for fish. “You should’ve seen them then. They were complete monsters,” he finished, reeling in another fish.

“I knew Link- Wild was different than he was before the Calamity, but I didn’t know he’d changed this much...” she trailed off, watching Twilight reel in four more fish, bringing his count up to seven. “I guess I don’t know him as well as I think I do.”

Twilight laughed lightly at her sentence and reeled in 10 more fish. “Princess, you probably know him better than you think. But neither of you seem to want to acknowledge that.”

She put her head in her hands. “I guess your right.” She heard a soft flopping noise and turned to her side to see fish spilling out of the bucket. 

“Twilight, there’s no more room in the bucket! Put the fish back!”

He chuckled darkly. “Oh princess, I have more than enough buckets.” Flora watched in horror as he spawned 3 more buckets out of nowhere.

━━━O━━━

They walked back to the camp, hoping to find some semblance of peace, when Flora saw Legend laughing on his ass as Warriors swung a bat wildly, missing a crudely made effigy of Ganondorf’s head, held up by a string on a nearby tree by a red-faced Sky, who was also giggling. 

“You guys better not be moving the fucking piñata or I swear to Hylia,” he said roughly, with a sly grin on his face. Flora cleared her throat and put down the two heavy buckets she was carrying beside her, instantly grabbing their attention. Sky dropped the string and Legend sat up straight. Flora couldn’t help but notice Warriors wasn’t wearing any pants, with the garment apparently being tossed aside after being deemed a hindrance.

“Y- your majesty,” Warriors said, turning scarlet with embarrassment. Legend’s eyes brimmed with tears at suppressing a laugh and Sky let out a muffled snort. Flora saw Twilight pinch the bridge of his nose at the sight and take several deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself.

“What the hell is happening?” She asked, keeping her expression neutral. Legend could no longer hold back his laughter and burst into an uncontrollable fit of joy, and Sky followed suit. Warriors shuffled over to where he’d thrown his pants and quickly put them back on.

“Nothing at all, we were just having a bit of fun,” Warriors responded. “We didn’t expect you guys to be back so soon, considering who you were following. Where are they, by the way?”

“Flying,” Twilight stated simply, moving the buckets of fish across the camp. Warriors didn’t know what to say.

“Who made the piñata?” Flora asked. Sky finally calmed himself enough to answer.

“I did. I had the materials lying around and decided to make it.” Flora raised an eyebrow in question.

“You just had piñata materials lying around, but you never have red potions we need them?”

His expression turned sheepish. “Uh, yea?” His response got more laughter out of Legend. Flora was about to reprimand him when she heard the approaching voice of Four and.... a small child? It was unusually high pitched, to much so to be Time, so Flora figured they might’ve found a lost child and brought him back.

“I told you that milk was spiked. You never listen to me,” Four said as he walked into view.

“How was I supposed to know? I mean, who spikes milk anyway?” The kid walked beside Four and Flora watched what looked like a child version of Time walk into the camp. His armor, sword, everything on his person was shrunken down to fit a small child, and he only reached up to Four’s chest. Flora heard four muffled laughs behind her. She exhaled and approached the two.

“Hello Four, welcome back.” She knelt down to the kid’s height and spoke with a tooth-achingly sweet tone. “And who might you be?”

The child scoffed and rolled his eyes. Flora quickly became annoyed with his behavior. Four bit his lip and looked away in amusement. 

“Um, Flora, this is Time.”

She looked Four dead in the eyes, looking for some hint of a lie, but only found pure humor in his constantly changing irises. She turned back to the child, or Time, and blinked.

“What the fuck is wrong with you all?”

━━━O━━━

After a few hours of experimenting, Flora was able to reverse whatever spell was placed on Time and return him to his normal, adult self. He thanked her profusely and then turned to glare at Twilight, who immediately looked down.

“So, they made a flying machine and sailed off into the distance? And you did nothing to stop them?” He tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for his protege to answer.

“Um, yes?”

Time didn’t break his glare. “And you went fishing afterward instead of tracking them down?”

Twilight’s face grew red. “Yes.”

“And then you came to camp to find these three idiots hitting a piñata, pantless?”

“Yes.”

Time looked around the camp at the embarrassed faces of the heroes as Flora sat by his side. Her focus kept drifting to the ever-shifting buckets of fish in the far side of the camp. 

“This behavior is far from befitting of those who carry the title of Hero,” he said finally. “I’m very disappointed in you all, and-“

Time’s speech was cut short by Wild crashing harshly into a bush nearby. The sound of laughter came from above as Wind landed gracefully next to where the champion fell. He wiped tears from his eyes and poked his friend's unmoving leg. It twitched in response. Wind turned his attention to the rest of the group, who were watching in complete shock. He waved.

“Hey guys, we’re back!”

All of them except Time, Flora and Twilight quickly lost their composure and rolled around on the ground, doubling over in laughter. Time’s eyebrow twitched in frustration.

“Where’s Hyrule?”

Wind took a moment to catch his breath before pointing up, where a still hovering Hyrule clutched onto Wild’s paraglider for dear life.

“He doesn’t know how to land,” was the last thing Wind got out before he began giggling again.

After a few minutes of shouting directions on how to get down from Wind and a still battered Wild, they all began chatting as Wild tried to figure out what to cook with the 47 fish Twilight had caught. Flora's eyes dropped heavily as she grew more tired. She cast her gaze around the camp and smiled at their obvious joy. She hated traveling with these idiots— it was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

* * *

** BONUS: **

War: Do you think Flora’s taken?

Sky: Probably. She’s a very pretty and intelligent lady and a princess.

Legend: Not like she’d ever date you though.

War: Pft, watch and learn, vet. This is how you get a girl

*walks over to Flora*

War: Hey Flo-

Flora: No chance, Captain. My knight has got my heart

*Warriors stomps back to Sky and Legend; the veteran is smirking knowingly*

War: Who the fuck is her knight?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter! Zelda 2 reference in the title and I love writing Flora, she’s so much fun. There needs to be more Zelda in LU. Anyways, see you next chapter!


	2. Forgotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sky and Wild find themselves in the Forgotten Temple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little bit of angst, but nothing crazy. And some singing :)

Wild walked slowly up to where Sky was sitting in front of the enormous statue. It'd taken him nearly all day to find this place since Hyrule and Sky got separated from everyone during the switch. He'd already taken Hyrule back to the camp, all that was left was teleporting Sky. The goddess smiled upon them both pleasantly, and Wild could swear he could still hear her voice in the breeze. He knelt beside the praying Sky and followed his lead.

“How’d you find us?”

Wild shrugged. “I teleported to every shrine, looked around for a bit, and moved on. I just got lucky with choosing this one.”

Sky’s attention stayed on the stone Hylia. His eyes were red-rimmed and his cheeks were still red. Wild was about to speak when Sky went first.

“When did it get like this?” Wild assumed he meant the temple and racked his very limited memory to try and find information on the place.

“Zelda said it’s been like this for as long as anyone can remember. She said it might’ve been used, but it eventually became inaccessible because of its location and too difficult to get to, so people stopped coming and it was neglected.”

Sky stood and walked to the front of the statue, placing a hand on the stone. He closed his eyes and hummed a tune that Wild didn’t recognize. It sounded like a lullaby.

“How did your Hyrule get like this, Wild?”

Wild was taken aback. He’d only briefly explained minor details of his adventure and only how he defeated the Calamity. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to start spilling his life story, or as much of it as he could remember. But he could tell Sky was not ok, and he hated seeing his friends hurt. He sighed and fiddled with his long ponytail, trying to decide what to say.

“The Calamity, it... I didn’t exactly beat it the first time.” Sky turned to him in confusion and concern. “I just... took longer than needed to beat it, and while I was, um,” Wild let out a breath he’d been keeping in.

“It’s ok you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Sky said quickly beginning to step away from the statue. Wild nodded in disappointment and kept his head down.

“I just can’t remember anything about myself or the kingdom beyond what Zelda and Impa have told me. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you any more about this place.”

Sky huffed in slight amusement, a small grin threatening to creep up his lips.

“Wild, this isn’t your fault. From what you’ve told me, this place was forgotten long before you were born. I’m not upset that it’s like this just surprised.” His gaze shifted back to the statue, and a sad smile finally appeared. “This temple is just really familiar is all. I visited somewhere similar in my adventure.”

They stood in silence, listening to the shifting of stones and the breeze blowing through the derelict corridors. The sound of a song floated through the room, and Wild wondered if it was coming from Sky or the goddess herself.

“Have you ever spoke to her? The goddess, I mean,” Sky asked.

“Yea, when I was on my adventure. She helped me get stronger after every shrine. She’s the whole reason I was able to beat the Calamity,” Wild said. Sky nodded and went silent again.

“The flow of time is always cruel, and it seems different for everyone,” Sky spoke softly. “But that doesn’t mean change isn’t welcome, just... difficult.”

Sky’s eyes shifted to Wild and landed on his face gently, sparkling slightly. Wild walked to his side and sighed, placing a hand on top of Sky’s on the statue. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what Zelda has once told him.

“100 years in the blink of an eye. 10,000 becomes a single page in a story. Eons reduced to a single title. Sometimes, it’s better to move on than linger on things long forgotten.” Sky gave him a grin of surprise and slight pride that made the younger hero turn red. “Th-that’s just something Zelda told me once, I could never come up with it on my own.”

Sky chuckled brightly and pulled out his harp.

“Want to hear a song?” Wild nodded enthusiastically and quickly took a seat in front of Sky. He plucked the strings lightly, making sure that it was in tune.

“This is the Ballad of the Goddess, I learned it... well here actually, when this place flourished eons ago.” He closed his eyes and sang while strumming the strings of the golden harp lightly.

_Oh youth, guided by the servant of the goddess_

The statue of the goddess seemed to be surrounded by a curtain of rainbows and specks of light.

_Unite the earth and sky, and bring light to the land_

Sky’s Triforce glittered brilliantly on the back of his hand, and the Master Sword strapped to his back hummed along.

_Oh youth, show the two whirling sails the way to the Light Tower_

The breeze swept Wild’s hair into the air, swirling around him like a storm of spun gold.

_And before you a path shall open, and a heavenly song you shall hear._

_S_ ky’s voice faded off at the last lyric and he opened his eyes to see Wild stifling a sob. He frantically put away his harp and knelt beside his friend. He wasn’t sure if he should touch him, since the champion always tensed when met with physical contact. After another sob, Sky gave up the debate and pulled Wild into a warm hug. After a few minutes in the same position, Wild’s crying was reduced to sniffles. Sky let go but kept an arm across his shoulders.

“I’m sorry, was I that bad?” Sky asked worriedly. Wild stared at him in bewilderment before bursting into a rough laugh and nearly tackled the Chosen Hero in an embrace. The boy’s mood could change at the drop of a hat.

“That was incredible, Sky,” he finally said after burying his face into his friend's chest. He pulled back just enough to look at Sky, his eyes shining with childlike wonder. Except he as a child, and Sky almost always forgot that Wild was only 16.

“Who’d you learn it from?” He asked.

“From an Old woman,” he responded simply, earning a puff of amusement from Wild.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?”

Wild covered his mouth with his hand and muffled another laugh. “An old woman? Just some random lady taught you that song.”

Sky grew flustered at his obvious teasing. “Uh, yea is that not normal?”

Wild waved his hand, becoming too overwhelmed with laughter to even speak. Sky would’ve been upset by the embarrassment, but he was too glad to see Wild so pleased, so he swallowed his pride and smiled.

━━━O━━━

“Ugh, we were there for too long. I hope everyone didn’t starve to death,” Wild said as they approached the camp, the rising sun illuminating the desert and heating up the air.

“You're the one that wanted to stay there and have me teach you how to play the harp. I told you I could’ve taught you later.” Sky’s fingers were sore from the constant strumming. Wild was as close as you could get to musically untalented, but he insisted that Sky teach him how to play the harp in one night. He sighed and stretched his hands.

They greeted everyone except Hyrule who was still asleep. Wild began cooking breakfast as Sky collapsed into his bedroll, deciding to skip breakfast to try and get some sleep. He heard the crunching of sand under boots and someone approached and felt a hand land on his back.

“You two have been gone for a while,” Time said. Sky grunted in response. “What took you two so long?”

Sky sighed tiredly. “Learning songs long, long forgotten.”

Time made a noise in understanding and patted Sky’s back before leaving. Sky hummed the ballad as he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I love writing Sky? I've been playing Skyward Sword and my gosh he's the greatest. This was supposed to tie in with another chapter but I scrapped it. Also, some more crack and angsty chapters coming soon, but don't expect a lot of updates after Sunday because of Age of Calamity. See you next time!


	3. A Wild Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four has no idea what’s going on

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pure crack this time.

Four always thought himself to be the most levelheaded of the Links, even though he had four other voices constantly talking in his head and was constantly on the verge of screaming from their incessant talking. But that didn’t matter when you traveled with a group of eight other highly traumatized people. So when Wild suddenly went missing, he wasn’t surprised that he was able to stay calm about it. He was surprised that no one else seemed to care.

“Um does anyone know where Wild went?” He asked over dinner at the inn.

“Yea, it’s outside, like it’s always been,” Legend responded sarcastically, earning him an eye roll form Four.

“No not the wild, Wild. You know, the amnesiac hero with a guilt complex?” The group stared at him like he had four heads. That wouldn’t be too far off.

“Four, there is no Hero of the Wild, it’s only us eight,” Hyrule said in a tone that screamed ‘I’m going to make sure your not going crazy later’. 

And with that, Four began getting suspicious.

** How don’t they know about Wild? We’ve been traveling with him for months now.  **

** Maybe someone cast a spell on them that made them forget. **

_ No a spell like that would l eave a trace that even we could notice. If that were the case anyway, why are we the only one who remembers? _

_ Because were just that fucking awesome. _

_ *sighs* Ok Green, because were awesome we didn’t get cursed. Great guess. Now does anyone else have an idea? _

_ You little fucking twerp I swear to Hylia- _

** Can we not fight right now? The last thing we need with Wild missing and everyone forgetting him is for us to have our own internal struggle. Literally. **

** Let’s look for him on our own. I’m sure if we split up we could find him. **

_ I don’t think that’s a good idea. We’re going to be switching soon and I don’t think we should split yet, in case we get separated. _

_ Fuck it, let’s listen to Vio. We’ll stay together, look for him for a bit, and then go back. _

** Sounds like a plan. Not a good one though. **

_ I am going to attack you Blue. _

With the plan settled, Four stood from his seat and announced he was going to the bathroom. The others waved him away and just as he stood, a portal opened right below their feet and whisked them away to another Hyrule. Four landed gently on his feet, having the luck of already standing when getting transported, while Sky’s chair shattered below him and several others fell harshly on their backs. Four helped Sky out of the splinters and scanned the view while the others stood.

“This is Wild’s Hyrule,” he announced happily. Time was the first to get up and also took in the view.

“Your right, this Hyrule is rather wild. And enormous.”

Four facepalmed himself at the obvious misunderstanding but didn’t bother to elaborate. If they didn’t remember by now, there was no point in trying to remind them. 

“New Hyrule means new hero! Do you think they’ll be younger or older than me?” Wind asked brightly. Warriors ruffled his hair with an obviously fake smile plastered on his face. He did not want another hero younger than Wind.

“Let’s go towards those giant mountains over there,” Twilight said, pointing straight ahead to the Dueling Peaks.

“Sounds like a plan,” Four agreed, knowing there was a stable there he could ask for some information at. 

They began their walk across the woods and entered a large clearing. A huge temple stood to the right and to the left was a view of the still derelict castle. Four could’ve sworn they started construction on it last time they were there. And the temple was the Temple of Time, meaning they were on the Great Plateau and without Wild, they had no way of all of them getting off safely. Four groaned at the thought and prayed to the goddess that she send them help soon. His prayers were soon answered unexpectedly when they came across a Lynel.

“That’s a Lynel,” Legend oh so helpfully pointed out. “Their extremely dangerous and spit fireballs at you. We should all be able to take them down though.”

“Ok then, Sky and I will take the legs while the old man, Twilight and Hyrule will attack the main body. Legend, you strike from afar,” Warriors commanded.

“What about me!” Wind pouted. 

“Your staying here with Four.” Great, babysitting duties.

They bickered for a few moments before the others enacted the plan. They raced forward, swords and weapons at the ready. Hyrule suddenly disappeared into thin air and nobody commented on it. Four watched with nervous anticipation as... Sky suddenly collapsed. Just fell right over. Twilight yelped and ran to his side, checking his pulse.

“He’s asleep,” he yelled. Um what? Everyone besides Four nodded in satisfaction, like Sky randomly falling asleep in the middle of a battle was a normal occurrence.

Warriors swung his sword at the leg and it bounced back comically, making him fall back with a cry. Four muffled a snicker. Time raised his Biggoron sword for an overhead slash but was blown back by an unusually strong wind that came out of nowhere. Twilight literally dropped what he was doing, which was carrying Sky, abandoning the Chosen Hero in favor of checking on the obviously fine Time. Legend was still uselessly firing magic at the monster, but his aim was so bad it just whizzed right by it. Four couldn’t suppress his laughter and was outright cackling on the floor at the sight of the confused Lynel standing still, staring at the incompetent heroes. 

Suddenly, a bomb arrow came flying from behind the Lynel, exploding against its head upon impact. It roared and kicked back, turning around to face its opponent. 

“They were wearing a blue coat with bright, electric blue eyes like blue lightning and golden blonde hair like the sun. Despite the description of tiny details like the color of his eyes, the heroes could not make out his face below the hood,” Twilight narrated from Time’s side.

“What the fuck are you doing, Twi?” Four asked him. He blinked.

“Nothing.”

The new assailant, which Four quickly deduced was Wild, used Revali’s Gale, flying high above the Lynel. It then summoned Urbosa’s Fury and sent a massive bolt of lightning down before descending onto its back and stabbing into it once, killing the enormous monster instantly. Four stared in disbelief. Killing Lynels without Legend or Time’s help was never that easy, even for Wild who was the most experienced with them. And why the fuck was Twilight talking like he was reading a story? And where did Hyrule go?? New Wild, as he was now mentally calling him, walked over to Four and offered him a hand to help him up, even though he was already standing. 

“Hi, Um, new guy?” Four said hesitantly, not knowing what to call him.

“That was incredibly, Your so amazing, how’d you take down the Lynel on your own?” Wind shouted from behind Four, making New Wild flinch. 

“What’s your name son?” Time asked, apparently having teleported behind New Wild and slapping a hand on his shoulder. New Wild put down is hood and everyone besides Four gasped

“Link,” he said dramatically. Twilight reached up and touched the scars on his face.

“He had scars all over the left side of his body, serving as a constant reminder to both him and others of his failure all those years ago,” he narrated again.

“Hey, what the fuck Twi,” Four growled. Twilight only blinked at him in confusion and everyone no one noticed his strange storytelling.

“Link, you must join us on our journey to defeat, uh, something,” Warriors said sternly.

“I’m no hero,” New Wild cried, turning his back to everyone.

“But the goddess said so! And Zelda said it was ok,” Sky responded, holding the Master Sword out to New Wild.

“Ok I’ll go,” New Wild stated. Just like that?

“And so the new hero set out with those of old, beginning a new adventure filled with struggles both internal and external,” Twilight spoke again. Time vigorously nodded in agreement.

“Let’s go.”

Four was now sitting at a campfire, apparently having been transported across time in the blink of an eye. That wasn’t that weird. What was weird was that he was sitting directly across from Twilight and Wild as they spoke, but neither of them noticed him. They’d apparently set up camp at the edge of the forest surrounding the battlefield. Sky was still sleeping peacefully in the spot Twilight dropped him earlier. Hyrule was nowhere to be found. 

“Tell me your story,” Twilight said bluntly. Four cringed at the sensitive question.

“I can’t, it’s too hard!” New Wild cried for the second time.

“Please?” Twilight begged.

“Ok.” Four nearly screamed at their stupidity. “I died a hundred years ago protecting the princess. I failed! And now Hyrule sucks! And I suck!”

Twilight gasped and embraced New Wild as he cried for the third time that day. Seriously, what’s up with this guy and crying?

“Your not a failure your awesome!” Twilight praised. New Wild shook his head.

“I don’t have memories and all my friends are dead! And I lifted the Master Sword when I was in the womb and was able to fight armies when I was 3 months old and I became a knight when I was 3, so my whole life sucks,” New Wild cried again. Four was getting sick of this guy’s constant crying. Warriors and Time were suddenly awake and sitting beside Four, staring intensely into the fire.

“Man the goddess sucks,” Warriors said grumpily.

“I hate Hylia for ruining our childhoods!” Time yelled, shaking his fist at the sky. All three heroes started weeping and New Wild called Mipha’s Grace for some reason and they stopped crying.

“Who was that?” Twilight asked.

“My dead fish girlfriend. She heals me every time I die which is a lot.” New Wild started sobbing  again  and Four wanted to bang his head against a tree. 

“We love you Wild! Your perfect! The most awesomest, bestest, Hero in the world! And you’ve got the best game ever!” Twilight yelled. And then New Wild died in his arms and Four couldn’t believe what he was seeing. 

Twilight fell to his knees holding dead New Wild and screamed, “Noooooooo!”

━━━O━━━

“Four, hey Four, you alright?” Four jolted awake at the sudden poke on his shoulder and blinked blearily into Wild’s eyes.

“Your alive!” He almost yelled before Wild shushed him, pointing to the other sleeping heroes. Four bit his lip and nodded before dragging a hand over his face.

“That was some dream you had. You were laughing then shocked and then practically screaming in frustration,” Wild said with an amused grin. 

Four waved him off. “Just a weird, shitty dream. Crazy, but not anything to worry about.” He paused before squinting his eyes. “I hope so.”

Wild shrugged and walked away to the cooking pot, putting away his things. Four rubbed his temples, trying to filter out the screaming of the voices who were arguing about the meaning of the dream. He really just wanted some normalcy for a moment.And he almost got it, before Twilight sat up and started speaking.

“And so Wild packs up his things after another long, restless night. He’d have to talk to Twilight about his issues in the morning,” the farmhand narrated eerily. Four was about to tear out his hair when Wild grinned mischievously at Twilight before tackling him. Four sighed tiredly at the sight. At least things were back to normal.

━━━O━━━

Hylia giggled from her spot in the heavens. Her little alternate world was fun to make and play out, with Wild being her tragic, perfect hero. But of course, it had to end. She only wondered how Four was aware of the change. The goddess shrugged it off. She probably just forgot to give him a role in her story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Age of Calamity is destroying my life. I’m almost done and it’s already crazy. Also, I love Four and I need to give him more roles in my stories. And I forgot about Hyrule during the battle which is why he disappeared:p


	4. Brother and Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SPOILERS FOR AGE OF CALAMITY, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!
> 
> Sidon and Mipha has a chat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Age of Calamity and this is the shortest thing I’ve ever written.

Sidon looked over the battlefield. Small flames burned everywhere, the scorched earth bound to leave a nasty scar across the land for at least a few years. But a scar was better than the alternative. Vah Ruta’s mechanical steps slowed to a stop and footsteps approached him from behind. Light and graceful, just as he remembered. He felt her take a seat besides Sidon, legs dangling over the edge of the enormous machine.

“Quite the view,” she said with a smile. Their eyes met and Sidon couldn’t help but letting a grin overtake his features.

“Made all the better when in the company with my big sister.”

Mipha giggled and turned back to the view. Sidon let the smile fall form his face. He had no reason to feel the way he did. The castle still stood defiantly against the dark sky, still intact. The Divine Beast was doing the job it was made to do rather than flooding the dam and nearly destroying the kingdom. His sister was next to him. Warm. Breathing. Alive. And yet, the thoughts of a future 100 years from now still lingered in his mind and nearly forced a frown onto his face. But he refused to let it show.

“Tell me Sidon,” Mipha spoke quietly, “about your future.”

Sidon clenched his jaw and swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew the question was coming, but it didn’t make it any easier to answer. He tried to steel himself and answer in the most upbeat way possible.

“It’s... wonderful,” he said. “The Domain is still doing well and with the help of Link, it’s been thriving. He helped us when we needed him most and I couldn’t be more thankful for him.” Sidon’s tone softened as he recalled first meeting his best friend. 

“And have I been a good big sister to you?” She asked, staring into his eyes. Sidon was take aback by the question. His mouth opened and closed for a few moments before he sighed and slumped over in defeat.

“Your the best sister anyone could ask for,” he said sadly. 

“Then why do you sound so sad when you say it?” Mipha placed a tiny hand on Sidon’s arm. He didn’t remember his older sister being so small, but then again, he was never a tall child to begin with.

“I... I don’t know. I should be happy, I finally got to see you again, after so, so long. But I can’t shake the feeling I get every time I look at the castle or Link or you. Everything is just different. In a good way of course, but it just reminds me of everything we’ve lost.” Sidon shook his head.

Mipha’s grip on arm tightened ever so slightly, reassuring him that she was still there. “I understand, Sidon. Though that future may have been averted here, that does not mean it never happened. I cannot even begin to imaging the pain you’ve endured during your life, but I can try my hardest to ease it.”

Sidon gripped the edge of the platform. “I miss you. I wish I could see you again, after everything is over.”

Mipha’s lips pursed together as she thought of a response. It felt strange, sitting next to his sister again like he did when he was younger, seeing Link as a quiet soldier rather than the rambunctious adventurer he knew, and being in a kingdom that was winning the fight against Ganon. It was strange, but most of it was a more than welcomed change from the empty wildness of his future.

Mipha sighed and finally spoke. “I promise I have never left your side, brother. And I never will, even in the future.”

The mechanical elephant bellowed loudly before shooting a mist of water from its spur, creating a curtain of water in front of them. Light shone through and thousands of rainbows brightened his sister’s face. Sidon felt the warmth of her familiar healing magic lightly. He let the smile he’d been forcing for the last few days easily slide on his features, letting the light catch on his teeth and melting away the sorrow that tried in vain to make him frown.

“I hope I’ve made you proud,” he said to her. She returned the smile.

“You are my pride and joy, Sidon. No matter what, I will always love you with every fiber of my being.”

Sidon looked back out over the field. The villages that were long gone in his time stood tall besides the corpses of monsters and empty husks of the Guardians. Soldiers helped each other up and laughed at living another day. Sidon could feel the life coursing through the land, floating gently through the air. This past was not a reminder of his future, but a beacon of hope for a better one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a lot of people were disappointed by this game, which I can understand. It was marketed to be a prequel to BOTW but turned out to be a completely different story and made another split in the timeline, which is kind of frustrating. But I loved the characters and the story, which actually got me to like Zelda instead of hating her at first. Also Impa is the best character.  
> Sidon and Mipha’s relationship though was just beautiful. Like honestly made me tear up when they were talking on Vah Ruta, which is why I wrote this. So, I hope you enjoyed!


	5. Top Banana!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AGE OF CALAMITY SPOILERS READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
> 
> Master Kohga joins the battle!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe age of calamity

They stared in disbelief as the rather rotund Master of the Yiga clan mowed down hoards of enemies with relative ease. Though his movements looked comical from a distance, he easily took down at least 200 monsters and cleared three camps on his own. Impa was glad they never faced him alone. A sudden explosion from behindstartled both her and Zelda. They turned to find Link struggling against a Hinox and two Malice Guardians. One of the machines landed its beam dangerously close to the hero’s leg. He screamed in pain and fell over, gripping his burnt leg. Just before Impa could begin her run to help, an obnoxious voice announced itself.

“Heya big ugly monster! Leave that horrible hero alone, or you’ll have to answer to the powerful!” He posed to the left, “strong!” He pointed his fingers to the right,” “handsome!” He brought his hands together and shot them straight towards the sky, “Master Kohga!” 

Impa heard Zelda snicker beside her, but the Sheikah couldn’t help but stare in disgust and disbelief at the Yiga’s antics. Were they really the evil offshoot of the revered Sheikah? Impa sure hoped not, or that would reflect  very poorly on the secretive clan. Master Kohga reached Link’s side and handed him a banana, which the hero took hesitantly and eyed with suspicion while the Yiga battled the Hinox. With a sigh, Impa took out her faithful kodachi and joined the fight.

━━━O━━━

Wild wasn’t sure if he was dreaming or not. He’d been transported to the middle of a battlefield filled with hoards of monsters and saw two Guardians that looked to be corrupted with Malice and a Hinox gang up on him? The person sure looked like him, sounded like him, and fought like him. But it couldn’t be, because Zelda and Impa were fighting by his side. And he was sure that either one of them would’ve mentioned something like this happening.

But the most interesting, or batshit crazy part, was the fact that Master Kohga was protecting his doppelgänger. And he was actually doing a pretty good job at it. After eating a few bananas and destroying one Guardian, Kohga looked like he was about to puke. But instead of throwing up from one to many bananas, he shot a fucking laser beam from his mouth straight at the Hinox, taking it down quickly. With the help of Impa, who looked eerily identical to Paya, he then took down the other Guardian. Wild needed to know what was happening, so he finished killing the monsters attacking him and ran up to the group.

“Uh, hi I’m-“

Impa was already pointing a dagger at his throat before he could even get out the last word.

“Who are you and why do you look exactly like Link?” Her voice was low and threatening. Wild knew he’d have to respond quickly if he wanted to live, or at least keep his voice.

“I am Link. The Hero of the Wild, and I think I’m from 100 years in the future. You must be Impa.” She nodded, her eyes widening in realization as she put away the kodachi. Zelda finished healing Link, or the other Link, and observed him carefully.

“You’ve come to aid us in-“

“Yea yea whatever. Hey kid, you look like you’ve seen some battles, wanna join the Yiga?” Kohga interrupted, leaning in close to Wild’s face. He could practically smell the endless supply of bananas he kept somewhere on his person.

“Don’t the Yiga serve Calamity Ganon?” 

Kohga waved his hand casually in the air as he quickly leaned back. “Old news pal. Not since that damned prophet took my Sooga from me,” he said in a slightly watery voice. After wiping a nonexistent tear from his mask and sniffling, he continued. “Were fighting with the princess now so I can get my sweet revenge on that guy and Ganon. So, waddaya say? You’ll get this super awesome mask and look just like me!”

Wild eyed the man’s rather prominent stomach with a dubious look. “I think I’m good, thanks for the offer though.” 

“Your loss,” Kohga said with a shrug before peeling a banana and taking a bite out of it. “So where to next princess?”

Zelda turned her gaze to the castle, staring at it hard. “Let’s defeat Ganon.”

━━━O━━━

Wasn’t the hero supposed to fight Ganon and then Zelda seals him away? That’s the way things had been since... well, since Sky’s time. Now that he thought about it, Wild hadn’t seen the group since they got split up by the portal. He wondered if they were ok.

Back to the situation. The hero was the only one capable of fighting Ganon besides the princess, since they wielded the Master Sword, while Zelda was meant to use the power inherited from the goddess to seal it away. So why in the name of all that is holy and sacred, was Master Kohga single-handedly fighting the menace that was Calamity Ganon? Wild stood besides Impa and this time’s Link, watching in pure disbelief as Kohga perfectly dodged and battled the demon while quipping away.

“And to think I worshipped someone as ugly and weak as you!” He cried as he dodged another swing of the monsters enormous weapon. “Never again will the incredible Master Kohga bow to another person. Get ready to die to death!”

Wild watched as the Yiga munched on a banana he spawned and blasted the monster one final time with his mouth laser. When he was finished he turned and shouted at Link.

“Get over here stupid hero and finish off what the top banana started!”

Link stood with thinly veiled confusion on his features as he unsheathed the Master Sword and ran forward. With a battle cry, he sliced the Calamity in half before turning to Zelda and nodding. She understood the signal and used her powers to destroy Ganon completely, ending the frankly ridiculous fight by landing the final blow. Wild looked at sword in his own hand, which hadn’t even seen a glimpse of battle. Why the hell was he sent here if Master Kohga of all people was going to be the hero to defeat the Calamity? Impa seemed to be able to read his mind and put a hand on top of his and sighed in defeat.

“Trust me, I know the feeling.”

━━━O━━━

Wild was suddenly standing besides Twilight and Time at the front of the group. His sudden appearance nearly gave the older hero a heart attack.

“Wild! Where’ve you been? You’ve been gone for 4 days,” he asked worriedly. Wild stared at him with a look of utter bewilderment on his face.

“An alternate timeline, I think.”

Time studied him carefully. “What happened in it?”

Wild shook his head in confusion and looked at Time with pure exhaustion at trying to understand what he just experienced. “The Yiga Master who can apparently barf lasers after eating bananas beat Calamity Ganon.”

Time out a hand on his shoulder and nodded knowingly. “Some things are better left forgotten.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short oneshot. Next one will be longer I promise. And it’ll probably be the last one for a little bit, cause I’ve been posting everyday to just go through the ones I already had written. See you next time!


	6. Letters from the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wild gets some letters

_ Dear Lia, _

_ How is everything with you? I miss you a little more everyday I’m away. I hope your doing well. My training has been getting harder. I’ve had to fight nearly entire armies of trained soldiers, and I can’t mess up or father will punish me. But I’ve been working hard to make you and mother and everyone else back home proud. Thank you for the last letter, I’m glad to hear that your enjoying learning how to sew. I know you’ll become very talented one day, as long as you keep practicing. _

_ Father said we can visit as soon as I prove myself capable. I’ll work everyday to come and see you. I love you very much, little sister. Stay well. _

_ ~Link _

━━━O━━━

Wild tapped furiously at the screen of his Sheikah Slate, typing something quickly. He’d neglected dinner that night, leaving the cooking to Sky, the second least likely to not kill everyone with food, and instead focused on writing. He’d received the new letter a few weeks ago, since the mailman was having trouble finding them and was wondering what exactly he should say to his little sister. He read over it and tried to emulate the response, but not much of substance was coming to mind as he deleted and retyped every sentence.

Wild sighed and put down the slate. He walked over to Sky, who was sitting next to the pot with Wind, and decided to save the group from whatever monstrosity he was making. Sky cautiously sniffed the steam rising from the pot before recoiling in disgust.

“I told you that was too much vinegar, it’s going to taste bad now,” Wind moaned.

“It was going to taste bad no matter what. None of us besides Wild know how to cook.”

Wild plopped down by his side loudly and grabbed the pair’s attention. Both of their faces melted into relief.

“Oh thank Hylia and all of her fucking minions, your here,” Wind nearly shouted, earning him a warning glare from Time. Wild chuckled and took over cooking, dumping out most of whatever they’d made onto the floor. The three of them watched in horror as it burned a hole through the pile of leaves it’d landed on.

“Ok, I’ll never ask you guys to do this again,” he said. Wild took the ladle and stirred in some cream and other spices to make a simple soup. Sky left, but Wind stuck by his side, rambling about his grandmother’s cooking.

“Yea she’s the best, I think she’d love you. I personally enjoy her steamed fish, but Aryll likes the turtle soup.”

Wild’s ears twitched at the name of his younger sister. “Do you write letters to your little sister?” The younger boy jumped up with excitement.

“Oh fuck yea! Every week I get a letter from her and I always make sure to respond within the hour. I give it to that weird, inter-dimensional mailman who always appears at the right time. It’s kinda creepy if you think about it,” Wind added, getting a little lost in his thoughts of time travel.

“What do you write to her?” Wild asked.

“Oh, I just talk about random things like what we did today or some of our adventures,” he said casually, leaning back on his hands. “When there’s a holiday or something, I send a little gift or write a poem. Just something in the season. Why, are you planning to write to someone?”

“Yea, but I was having trouble with it, thanks for the advice,” Wild responded, keeping his focus on the food. Wind grinned playfully before getting up and stretching dramatically.

“Let her know I say hi then,” he said with a wink before walking over to Warriors. 

Wild watched him walk away and turned his thoughts back to the letter. It wasn’t that he didn’t have anything to write about, there was just to much to say. He didn’t want to write a whole book, but that seemed to be the only way to get everything across. Wild decided he’d just have to send several letters over the course of a few weeks so he could get the whole story out before he visited. He didn’t want to leave his sister hanging again, after all.

━━━O━━━

_ Dear Lia, _

_ Sorry I haven’t written in a while. I’ve been traveling for a long time, and I haven’t really had the chance to write. I’ve met with 8 other people who all have the same name as me. It’s kind of confusing, but we call each other by nicknames. My name is Wild, since I’m the Hero of the Wild, but there are some super famous ones like the Hero of Time and Twilight. They’re all really great, and I’m sure you’d love them.  _

_ We’ll be visiting my Hyrule soon, so I’ll come see you when I get the chance, like I always do. I got you a gift I think you might like, but I can’t really remember what your favorite color was, so I just guessed it was pink. I’ll see you soon. Stay well. _

_ ~Link _

━━━O━━━

The switch had been surprisingly easy and painless. They walked through the dark portal that had appeared in their path and were welcomed by the unfamiliar sight of the door to a house. 

“My house!” Wild shouted, running to the door and rubbing it affectionately. He was almost never home and always felt bad for leaving the house abandoned for months on end. He turned back to the group with a smile. “Welcome back to my Hyrule! This is Hateno village.”

“Nice house you got here. It sure would be a shame if someone destroyed it by flying a massive tree trunk into it,” Legend said sarcastically, earning an unamused stare from Wild and lots of confused looks from the others.

They entered the two story home and found it to be relatively empty. There was a dinning table and two chairs on the first floor and a bed, a nightstand, and desk on the second. Besides the numerous weapons hung up on the walls and a few paintings, the house was severely lacking in, well everything. 

“You guys can just leave your things anywhere you like just make sure you leave space for somewhere to sleep,” Wild said before bounding up the stairs. 

Twilight tossed his things in a corner and took out his bedroll to find a spot to sleep on the ground. The house was way to small for nine people, so with a sigh, he put his bedroll back and decided to just sleep as Wolfie as someone’s pillow. He made his way up the stairs and saw Wild reading something quickly on his desk. 

Twilight observed the pictures that he’d hung on the wall. A few were just some landscape paintings, but one included a picture of a Gerudo, Rito, Goron, and Zora, with Wild andFlora in the middle. It was a cute picture, and Twilight made note to ask him about it later. Wild stood quickly from the seat, mouthing the words he’d already read before setting the paper back down on the edge of desk and flying down the stairs and out the house.

“I’ll be back!” He shouted after himself. Twilight watched as he ran trough town from the window.

“Where the hell is he going?” Warriors asked, tidying his things.

“Who knows with that one,” Time sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Keep the house clean, I don’t want to be responsible for ruining his house.”

Twilight watched as the others put aside their belongings and chatted before he turned back to the picture. He saw out the corner of his eye as the paper Wild had set down on the desk fell off. He walked over to it and picked it up, not wanting to snoop. Twilight’s curiosity got the best of him though, since the name it was addressed to was one he’d never seen before. With a brief curse, he opened the paper and read what was written.

━━━O━━━

_ Dear Lia, _

_ Thank you for the birthday wishes. No, being 14 does not feel any different than being 13. Father said I’m nearly grown, and that I should already be an expert swordsman, but I’m not sure. I’ve wielded the Sword of Evil’s Bane for almost 9 years now, but I don’t feel like anymore of a hero than I did before. Not that I could remember since I was so young.  _

_ I met with Zelda yesterday. She was very nice,  but I don’t think she likes me very much. I’m sure she’d love you, everyone does. I promise I’ll visit Hateno soon, since I don’t train as much during the winter. I love you, little sister. _

_ ~Link _

━━━O━━━

Twilight eyed Wild over his plate of food as the champion conversed brightly with Hyrule and Four about the merits of flight as a form of travel. Twilight had barely touched his meal, his brain still swimming with what the meaning of the letter he’d read was. He was the only person Wild had told even a fraction of his story to, so Twilight knew that nearly everyone Wild knew had died 100 years ago and he has very little memory of the past.

So who the hell was his sister, and why had he never mentioned her before? Maybe his cub was living a memory out while he was writing the letters, but he hadn’t shown any of his usual signs that indicated he was recalling something. No, he was still bright and talkative, definitely not zoned out or depressed. Plus, the paper did not look new, it actually looked quite old and yellowed after years of weathering. 

Twilight’s ear twitched as he considered every possibility but reached no conclusion, while letting his food grow cold in his hands. He put down the plate in disappointment and turned his full attention to staring at Wild. The younger hero’s eyes flicked over to Twilight and his ears grew red with slight anxiety and embarrassment. Twilight’s stare-down was only ended when Time sitting next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“What the matter, pup?” He asked his protege. 

“I read a letter on Wild’s desk. It was written to his sister,” he stated simply. Time fell silent in thought for several minutes.

“And it’s not a memory?” Twilight shook his head, making the older man sigh. “I’ll leave this to you. He’ll probably need someone for whatever it is he’s going through.”

Lunch was over relatively quickly, and Wild suddenly remembered he had something to do.

“I’ve got to go guys, I’ll be back in an hour. Stay around town, it’s completely safe.” He began to make his way towards the door when he was stopped by Twilight standing in his way. 

“Where exactly do you think your going?” He raised an eyebrow in question at Wild who turned his eyes down.

“Um, just to visit someone,” he said, fidgeting his hands.

“I’ll come with you then. I’d love to meet your friend.”

Wild looked at him with wide eyes filled with something like excitement and anxiety before he turned away again. “S-sure, if you want.”

“I’m coming too!” Wind shouted, bouncing over to their side. Wild smiled at him and they left the house.

They walked for a few minutes in the opposite direction of the village towards a small pond. A small patch dense with flowers sat on the other side and Twilight noticed a rock in the center of the patch. On top of the rock were a stack of unopened envelopes, sealed with twine. Wild sat with his legs crossed in front of it while Twilight and Wind watched in mild confusion. 

“Hey Lia, sorry it took so long to visit. I’ve been in and out of town for a while, so I never got the chance. Oh here’s the gift I wrote about. It’s a pink opal. I think they’re rare.”

Twilight’s heart sank as he watched Wild talk to his sister’s grave. Out of all the possible things he’d thought of, this never came to mind. He was utterly speechless when Wild began gesturing to the two heroes behind him after he set the pretty gem on top of the rock.

“This is Twilight, the one I talked about in my last letter, and this is Wind. They’re my friends, and I think you’d really like them.” Wild turned and shot them both smiles. Twilight knew he was staring at his friend in bewilderment, but he couldn’t help it. Wind was the one who took charge of his emotions first and spoke.

“Hi Lia! It’s nice to meet you,” he sat beside Wild and spoke to the stone brightly. Wild grinned at him as he listened to their conversation. “Did you know your brother is insane? He jumps off of cliffs with nothing on but his underwear, and everyone thinks I’m the bad one!” Wind giggled as Wild punched him lightly in the shoulder.

“Want to say something, Twi?” Wild asked optimistically. Twilight swallowed the lump in his throat and smiled as he sat beside his protege.

“Hi Lia, I guess I’m something of Wil- or Link’s mentor. I...” Twilight trailed off as he thought about what to say. “I promise I’ll protect your big brother.”

“Aw how cute,” Wind said in mock fondness. “Yea I promise the same thing, but we’ll have a good time too!”

Twilight couldn’t help but laugh as they continued their conversation with Wild’s sister.

━━━O━━━

“Hey cub, how come you never told me you had a sister?”

Wild tapped his chin in thought for a moment before responding. “I didn’t know I had one either until I got some letters.”

“Letters?”

“Yea, that weird postman kept bringing me some really old letters I must have written 100 years ago. I don’t know why they turned up now, but I’ve been visiting my sister’s grave and writing letters to try and remember., since the memories haven’t been coming to me as easily.” Twilight watched him pull out a piece of folded yellow paper and hand it to him. 

“I got this one yesterday, but I’m a little scared to open it.”

“Why?” Twilight asked.

“Because it’s addressed to me. The others were ones I’d written a century ago, but not one that I was intended to receive,” he said with a shrug. “I’ll open it later. I don’t want to get lost in a memory right now.”

Twilight nodded in understanding as Wild walked away. He unfolded the piece of paper and read its contents.

......

_ Dear Link, _

_ Hey big brother! You’ve only been gone for a few months and I already miss you. How’s Castletown? My friend Jeena went there a little while ago and I asked her to look for you. She said she waved to you in the crowd, I hope you saw her! _

_ Mother says we can go to the parade their having for you and the princess next month if I work extra hard to help her at the shop, so I’ve been sewing my butt off. _

_ Thanks for the birthday gift! The sewing set was great, and I’ve already started making you a new tunic and hat that’s your favorite color of green. I want to give it to you in person though, so you’ll have to wait. _

_ I hope father isn’t working you too hard and that your taking care of yourself. Don’t let the bruises heal by themselves or it’ll take forever. Also, please keep sending me drawings of the castle, their really pretty and I have everyone you’ve painted hung up in my room. _

_ I love you brother and I hope to see you soon. _

_ ~Lia _

.....

Twilight bit his lip and folded the paper. He really wished Wild could remember his sister without all the pain the memories would bring back. Twilight slid the letter into his pack, placing it gently in the side pocket, and decided to give it to him another day. Whenever he was ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit sad but I tried to make it a bit more optimistic:) I’m really bad at writing hurt or angst without comfort or a happy ending, so I steered away from that.  
> Hope you enjoyed reading! This is going to be the last one for a bit, but I promise I will update in the future. See you next time!


	7. The Princess and Her Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An alternate world where the gang meets Wild and Flora under different circumstances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What happens when you combine De-aging, little Wild, role reversal AU, Linked Universe, gang meets Wild, and angst into one fic? This.  
> Also, I'm back!

“...wake up...”

“Wake up, Zelda.”

“Open your eyes.”

“JUST WAKE UP ALREADY!”

Zelda sat up with a start, the liquid of the strange tub still draining. She rubbed her eyes wearily and glanced around the chamber. It was dark and blue and-

“Hey, can you get up already? I’m tired of waiting for you.”

Zelda sighed and stood. She noticed she wasn’t wearing any clothes besides a tiny top and some shorts and had no idea where she was.

“See that pedestal there?” The voice asked. Zelda walked to it and observed as a stone tablet was presented to her. “That’s the Sheikah Slate, I think. Take it, it could be helpful. Maybe. I dunno, it looks cool though.”

She rolled her eyes at the immature voice, before walking through the door that opened before her. There were a few chests and some crates, where she found some moth-eaten clothes that she put on and scaled the wall before her. Just before she stepped out the voice spoke to her again.

“Alright, be quick about this, I’m not going to be waiting here all day, ya know?” 

Zelda ran out of wherever she just was and took in the view. It was magnificent, with an enormous mountain that seemed to be split in half, a huge volcano, a mechanical bird flying, and the ominous castle that she felt strangely drawn to. It was all very new to her, but she didn’t have much time to take it in. She headed down the small hill and found an old man in a cave. She walked over to his campfire and took an apple before waking him up with a clap.

“Oh, hello there! I didn’t see you, sorry for my rudeness,” he said. Zelda only shrugged and took another bite of her apple. “You may have the apples if you wish.”

“Who are you?” She asked in between bites.

“Oh, I’m just an old man-“

“Oh for peet sake just tell her who you are! I’m not going to wait here for another century!” The voice wailed. The old man apparently couldn’t hear it and kept rambling about the large temple up ahead and some nonsense about shrines Zelda really could care less about. The voice also got sick of waiting and decided to tell her everything.

“Ok listen, I’m Link and I’m stuck in the castle cause I’ve been fighting this big bad guy named Calamity Ganon for 100 years while you were brought back to life or whatever. The guy in front of you is the King of Hyrule, your dead dad, and your the princess. So come save me please so I can get the hell outta here!”

And with that, Zelda set off on her journey. She completed shrines and puzzles in place of the hero; the Sheikah monks made an exception and allowed her to do them instead. She freed the Divine Beasts, became an expert swords-woman, unlocked her sealing power, and regained some of her memories.

So Zelda went and fought Calamity Ganon, defeating him after some struggle. She stands in the empty, razed remains of Hyrule Field and watched as Dark Beast Ganon is sealed away, definitely not forever but for maybe 300 years or so. Then, a light descended before her and took the shape of a small Hylian before revealing a little boy, standing with his arms crossed over his chest and smirking at her. Zelda rolled her eyes for what felt like the billionth time since she woke up and crouched to his height.

“Thanks a lot,” he said nonchalantly, looking at his fingernails. “Took you long enough though.”

“Yea yea whatever.” They stared at one another before he fell into her arms and she embraced him in a tight hug. “I missed you, Link.”

“You too, Zeldy.”

They sat there for a long time, just holding each other close.

━━━O━━━

A few months had passed since Zelda and Link finally beat the Calamity when they arrived. The two had been staying in a house Zelda bought in Hateno while she did some research with Purah. Link had a great time playing with the local kids, and Zelda made sure to track his height every day to see how much he was growing. The little boy was always ecstatic when she told him he’d grown another few centimeters. That day, she’d been watching Link from the top of a hill when she saw a group of eight Hylian men, well equipped and armed, stroll into town. 

They all had similar looks, blond hair (except for one who was brunette), and blue eyes with varying heights. The shortest one looked no bigger than the sword his companions carried. Zelda grew concerned and walked down the hill, hoping to intercept them before they got to Link. And she did. She ‘happened’ to bump into the tallest, a man with a scar across one eye, and let him help her up when she caught a brief glimpse of something that looked like a Triforce on the back of his hand. She decided to take a chance.

“Your name wouldn’t happen to be Link by any chance?” The man’s eyes widened in shock but he soon nodded and glanced to another man who had a white cape draped across his shoulders and a sleepy look on his face.

“I’m also Link. Well, we’re all Link, but from across time.” He unsheathed the Master Sword and Zelda gazed at it with awe. “You must be Princess Zelda.”

She nodded. “Yes, I am. Would you all like to speak at my house?”

One with a blue scarf spoke up. “We would, thank you very much.”

“It’s just across that bridge there, the only one on that side. Let yourselves in and be comfortable, I have to speak with someone briefly and then I’ll be there.”

They nodded and began to trek across the bridge. Zelda went back into town and found Link, who was teaching the local kids how to make a cooling elixir. The boy always was a natural cook. When his eyes fell on Zelda, he dropped what he was doing and sprinted into her open arms. She caught him and steadied herself as his weight nearly knocked her over.

“There are some strange men at the house Link, I don’t want you to come in unless I tell you it’s ok,” she warned. Link pouted.

“But I’m your knight! I need to be there for you no matter what!” Zelda felt a pang in her heart at her little hero’s selflessness.

“I need you to protect the village while I’m talking to them. That’s also a knight’s duty you know.” When he didn’t look satisfied, she sighed and ruffled his hair. “Ok, you can come in but only after you finish this elixir and knock first. Got it?”

He smiled and nodded brightly. She grinned and gave him one final hug before heading back to her house. She waved to the men who were congregated around the small table in the dining room, most of them standing by the wall with only three taking seats at the table. The one with the scar, the sleepy one, and another with dark tattoos on his face. Zelda sat in the final seat.

“Well, I think we should establish some sort of nickname for you all since ‘Link’ is far too confusing,” she grinned. The sleepy one returned the expression.

“I’m Sky,” he said, “he’s Time, Twilight, Legend, Four, Wind, Warriors, and Hyrule. It’s from our hero titles. We come from all across Hyrule’s history, brought together by the goddess in order to defeat an evil that threatens its very existence. We’ve been...” he paused before smiling lopsidedly. “Collecting heroes, I suppose. We haven’t been here yet, so we assume there’s a new hero here.”

Twilight spoke next, this time asking a question. “If I may ask, why is the kingdom in this state? We passed by the castle on our way here, and we were all left with questions.”

“Yea, like where the fuck are all the towns?” Legend thought out loud.

“Leg,” Warriors glared at the other hero and nudged him hard in the ribs. 

“It’s alright, I understand your confusion. The kingdom is this way because of Calamity Ganon. It destroyed much of the land 100 years ago when it first emerged. We only sealed it away recently.” Zelda tapped her fingers nervously along the table.

“And your hero didn’t stop it the first time?” Time asked. Zelda felt anger bubble in her chest at the question.

“No he did not,” she snapped. 

“Some hero you’ve got,” Legend scoffed. Zelda slammed her hand on the table, startling all of the men.

“None of you know what Link has gone through. You have no right to-“

A knock at the door cut off her rant. She calmed herself but kept a harsh glare on her guest.

“Come in.”

The door creaked opened and Link entered, letting go of the handle and falling lightly on his feet. He glanced around the room once, hand twitching for his child-sized dagger he begged her to buy him, before slowly walking to Zelda’s side.

“These the guys?” He whispered into her ear. She bit her lip to suppress a grin and nodded. “Want me to stay with you?” She didn’t respond, instead reaching down to pick him up and set the little boy down on her lap. The others stared in shock and did not speak. Hyrule cleared his throat and asked what was on everyone’s mind.

“Is that your son?”

Zelda and Link looked at each other before bursting into laughter. When she finally regained her composure, she said, “No, of course not. This is Link, the Hero of the Wilds.”

Silence fell on the room, but it was filled with tension. The heroes’ expressions turned dark. Time’s eye bore into the little boy, who shifted uncomfortably and nuzzled closer into Zelda’s chest.

“Is something the matter?”

“Can he wield the Master Sword?” The scarred man asked. 

“Yes,” Zelda replied, slightly confused. “That is what a hero is supposed to be able to do.”

Time sighed and placed his head in his hands. He looked extremely exhausted. Twilight turns to the others who were standing and told them to wait outside. Zelda isn’t sure why, but they looked like they needed fresh air. The others gladly step out of the room, except for Legend who decided to stay. Twilight pats the older man’s back before gazing at Link with sad eyes.

“How old are you?”

Link crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Almost six.”

Twilight cleared his throat. “Um, can we have an adult discussion?” Zelda nodded.

“Hey Link,” she whispered. His ears perked up. “Can you go watch those guys outside? I don’t want them to break anything and I need someone strong to stop them if they do.”

He practically flew from her lap to the door and ran outside, slamming it shut behind him. Sky watched with sad fondness.

“He’s energetic.”

Zelda exhaled deeply and sat back. “Today he is. And I’m glad. I don’t like it when he has bad days.”

“Bad days?” Legend asks from the edge of the room.

“When he’s so sad he doesn’t want to leave the bed. I have to stay inside with him until he feels better, which usually takes a few days, but sometimes I have to leave and...” she trailed off and shook her head. “Never mind. What is it you want to discuss?”

Time finally found his voice and lifted his head from his hands. His eye was red. “H- he didn’t have to fight Ganon, did he?”

“He did.”

The older man choked on words and closed his eye, mumbling silently to himself.

“For 100 years?” 

Zelda closed her eyes as she nodded. She didn’t want to see their horrified reactions. She already felt the same when she first heard, and the guilt had settled nicely in her heart. She really didn’t need their pity.

“We came here to cleanse the land of black blood, but we haven’t come across many monsters,” Twilight finally said. “Do you know who we could talk to and find some information on the land?”

Zelda tapped her chin in thought for a moment. “There’s a few people. Impa in Kakariko which isn’t too far from here, the Great Deku Tree in the Korok Forest which we’d need to teleport to, or King Dorephan in Zora’s Domain. I think our best bet would be Kakariko.”

“Then we’ll head there,” Legend said before leaving the room. Sky shot her a sheepish smile and apologized before leaving. Twilight whispered something in Time’s ear before he also left with a short goodbye. Only Time and Zelda remained. She waited for him to speak, which didn’t take long.

“Why did he... why did he have to fight?”

Zelda looked at her Triforce. “It’s what the goddess wanted.” She clenched her fist.

“It’s always what she wants but never what’s best,” he said quickly before standing and exiting, leaving Zelda alone with her thoughts. She never minded the quieter moments, especially on her journey, but it was harder to deal with now that she’d spent so much time with Link. And as if by magic, her little knight appeared at the doorway. His face was covered in mud and his champion’s tunic was completely dirty. She looked at him with mild irritation.

“I just washed that for you.”

He waved his hand, much like her. He was picking up her bad habits. “The Wind kid said it was fine.”

━━━O━━━

They left for Kakariko the next morning. She had enough money to rent the heroes horses, which significantly increased their travel time. Link sat in front of Zelda, telling her fantastic stories he’d heard about mythical beasts. Everything from giant flying whales with tiny wings to demon-possessed moons. When he’d run out of those, he began regaling her with stories he’d made up on his own. They were actually quite impressive with their scope, and she was glad he was using his imagination in such creative ways. 

Her attention briefly drifted to the rest of her company, who seemed to ride around in her in a defensive position. It irritated her. She might be a princess, but she’s fought enough monsters and been alone long enough to know how to protect herself. She really didn’t appreciate being treated like she was made of glass. At least her Link didn’t treat her that way.

They stopped around midday in a small valley between two tall hills. The breeze kept it cool despite the sun hanging high overhead. She watched the clouds glide by lazily across the sea of blue and wondered if the sky looked the same as it did a century ago. She wondered if she and Link had come by her once, in one of the many memories she’d lost. She remembered the devastation on his face when she told him she didn’t remember him entirely. It broke her heart into pieces that were later put back together by their growing relationship, but the cracks were still there.

With her mind someplace else, she didn’t notice that Link had fallen asleep against a tree he’d been observing for 30 minutes. She also didn’t notice that the other heroes were having a private meeting about what to do with the boy and thus not paying attention to either her or him. And she finally failed to see the bokoblin that approached his sleeping figure and snatched him from the ground, hoping to make a meal out of him. No one noticed until Link woke up in the arms of a bokoblin and screamed. 

Zelda immediately bolted to her feet and grabbed her sword and that was lying by her feet. She looked at where Link should’ve been sleeping and felt her heart drop. The other heroes were already racing in the direction of the scream and she quickly followed. The bokoblin had moved quickly, probably on horseback. But the various trees and ruins stopped it from making a quick escape and they were able to catch up. Wind knocked it off the horse with a massive hammer and Warriors finished it off. But Link was nowhere to be found. Zelda felt the panic rising in her chest as she scoured the area for Link. She’d almost given up and had a breakdown when she heard a voice.

“Zelda!”

She ran in its direction before coming across him. He had a large cut running up his arm and was holding a sword that looked way too big for him. His face was the very picture of fear and pain. As soon as he saw sprinted straight towards her. She caught him in her arms and spun him around before hugging him tightly.

“Link,” she could hardly get out before tears started falling.

“Zeldy, I’m sorry,” he whispered. 

“Don’t be. It was my fault.”

He shook his head. “No, I should’ve been stronger, then you wouldn’t be crying.”

Zelda pulled back and lightly pinched his cheek. “Link, your the strongest person I know.” She hugged him again. “Don’t ever think differently.

━━━O━━━

“Interesting,” Impa mumbled as she observed the group. “Well, there have been a declining number of monsters since Calamity Ganon’s defeat. There is no need for your skills in that regard.”

“Then why are we here,” Wind grumbled quietly. Four smacked the back of his head.

“Well, if you are here to collect heroes for your journey, then I suppose-“

“No,” Time stated. “We won’t be taking Link.”

Impa sighed and patted her pillow. “I’m afraid you do not have a choice hero. You and the princess may not like it, but it is the goddess’s will.” She held up a hand to stop any retort he may have spoken. “I understand you may have grievances with her, but everything Hylia does is for a reason.”

And with that, they left the main building. Time had a dilemma: tell Zelda that she has to give Link over to their band of merry fools, or just ignore the goddess’s will and wait until she sends another portal. He was heavily leaning towards the latter option, but he wasn’t sure if she’d just force Link to their group in some other, more horrific way. He didn’t want to push his luck, but he couldn’t bring himself to separate the two. So, he asked the group what they thought.

“Don’t do this to us old man,” Legend growled. “Don’t make us decide a five-year-olds fucking future.”

“Why would Hylia do this?” Sky asked desperately. He cradled the Master Sword in his lap, hoping for answers.

“We shouldn’t take him”, Twilight stated. “He’s way too young and he’s got a life here with Zelda.”

“But we don’t know what will happen if we don’t.” Warriors leaned heavily against the frame of the bed. “She always makes sure we end up together, one way or another.”

“Maybe we just have to wait until he’s older and then Hylia will send us back,” Wind offered.

“That could take too long, or something could happen in that time. We need to take him now,” Warriors stated.

“Why don’t we ask Zelda?” Hyrule suggested quietly. 

“She’s never going to say yes, she’s basically his older sister,” Four sighed. 

“Well she’s here anyway so might as well,” Hyrule said, pointing to where Zelda was standing in the doorway. The heroes fell silent as she entered the room and sat on the edge of one of the beds.

“What happens if you don’t take him?” The silence was her reply. “Very well. I suppose I’ll join you all then.”

“W-What no! You can’t!” Twilight practically shouted. “You're the princess, you have a kingdom to run.”

“There hasn’t been a kingdom in 100 years,” she snapped. “There’s no Hyrule, no kingdom, and no princess. I am just Zelda and I am more than capable of handling myself.”

Time sighed and placed a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “We know, but do you really think it’s wise to leave this land without any sort of ruler or protection while you're gone? If we take Link, you’ll already be without a hero. They at least need their princess.”

Zelda furrowed her eyebrows and looked down. Time hated this. He couldn’t imagine someone just strolling into his and practically forcing his child from him for some dangerous mission that he wasn’t even allowed to go on. It made him feel like a monster.

“This land,” she said, letting her hand glide over her Triforce, “has been without protection for a hundred years. Ganon is gone. There is nothing that could threaten it at this point.” Zelda’s stare shot straight through Time and looked into his soul. “Link is the most important thing to me. I won’t leave him, not ever again. I will join you.”

━━━O━━━

Zelda gripped Link’s hand as they stood before the portal. It was ominous. It was hard to believe the goddess would send something so terrifying for her heroes. But she had done worse things for the ‘sake of the kingdom’. She felt Link resist her pull a little and turned to see him staring at it, pale-faced and with his eyes glazed over. 

“What’s wrong?”

He shook his head but kept his gaze on the portal. “I can’t go. It reminds me of ‘It’.”

Zelda’s heart dropped at the word. Calamity Ganon. Of course, this would remind him of the century he spent trapped with that beast. She went onto one knee and smiled reassuringly at him.

“Hey, look I’m still here right?” He bobbed his head up and down slowly. “And I would never let anything happen to you right?” Zelda tried her hardest to not let her eyes wander to the bandage wrapped around his arm.

“Yea,” he whispered. 

“Then,” she stood back up. “Let’s go.”

Link swallowed and took a deep breath before following his princess through the portal, his hand intertwined with her’s.

* * *

** ALTERNATE ENDING: **

Zelda held his hand tightly as they approached the portal. It looked terrifying. Like it would swallow him up whole and spit back out his bones. She didn’t want to imagine that. She felt a tug on her tunic and saw Link staring up at her wide-eyed. She crouched to his height.

“What’s up?” She asked.

“How long will I be gone?” He played with the belts that wrapped around his tiny blue tunic. The Sheikah Slate looked comically big by his side. She hoped he’d be able to use it.

“Just a few weeks and then you’ll be right back,” she replied. Zelda hated lying, but she genuinely had no clue and she couldn’t tell him that. Link’s eyes sparkled with tears.

“Your promise?”

Zelda wiped away her own and held out her pinky for him to take. “I promise.”

He nodded and smiled before turning to take Time’s hand. He waved one last time before walking through the portal. Zelda stood and watched the spot he’d just vanished off to, wondering if he’d reappear and race to her to be swooped up in a loving embrace. She already missed the feeling of his weight in her arms. 

That night, Zelda visited the goddess statue that stood in the middle of Kakariko village and genuinely prayed for the first time in 17 years that her little knight come back to her safely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate ending cause I’m indecisive. Also, this was supposed to be super angst at first, then pure crack, but it kinda turned into a mixture of the two. We love Flora here.  
> If you like this let me know, because I really love writing this Flora & Wild relationship.


	8. Stands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone gets a Stand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Jojo’s reference. And pure, unfiltered crack that makes no sense, so enjoy :)

It began when they found the meteor. Wind had spotted the shooting star, which was streaking across the sky at midday, and he insisted that the group check it out. There wasn’t much to see: it was just a hunk of space rock with no good materials in it to sell. After poking it for a bit, they left and continued their travels until they settled for the night in a half-destroyed house. Wild was busy cooking, but he kept his ears tuned in to the others' conversations as he did.

“Maybe you’ve got more formal training, but I stabbed a fucking sword straight through Ganondorf’s head, so beat that.” Wind crossed his arms triumphantly with a smug smile on his face.

“Listen shrimp, I’m not saying you’d be an easy fight, I’m just saying I’ve got the upper hand against you,” Warriors retorted.

“The upper hand?” Legend interjected. “It’s the other way around, pretty boy. Anyone with half a brain cell has the advantage against you.” 

Warriors glared at him. “Well, at least I can win a fight without half a kingdom’s worth of magical weapons. I don’t need a crutch to win.”

“Oh so now using things to my advantage is a crutch? Last time I checked, you used magic items too.”

“Only when I have to, I can do just fine without them.”

“Can you?”

“Want to see for yourself?” Warriors said darkly. Legend stood slowly and goaded him on with a small hand gesture. “So we’re doing this?” Legend nodded, and Wild saw a red aura form around him. The same aura but in royal blue formed around Warriors. They stared at each other for an intense few minutes.

“Dream On!” Legend shouted, summoning a strange, robotic looking man with patterns resembling clouds covering its body. Wild stared in awe at the sight.

“You're approaching me? You're really going to summon your Stand against me?” Warriors laughed maniacally while Legend stared at him hard. “Very well, if that’s what you wish. Watchtower!”

A similar-looking ghost man appeared at Warriors side, with black and blue markings across its arms. The two Stands flew towards one another and began battling, punching at each other with tremendous speed. Wild forgot about the stew which was now boiling over and just watched in confusion as the chaos unfolded around the two. Wind had called his own Stand, Ocean Man, to help him win a card game against Four and his Doorman. Wild walked away from the battle, which was getting out of hand as Warriors and Legend began levitating into the air. 

“Sky, What’s going-“ he stopped mid-sentence as he saw Sky stroking the head of a large red bird. 

“Oh hey Wild, this is my Stand Free Bird. He kind of looks like my loftwing Crimson, don’t you think?” Wild nodded and slowly backed away, not knowing what the hell was going on. His ankle bumped into something on the ground and he turned to see Wolfie standing behind him.

“Hey, Wolfie, what’s up?” Wild said as he crouched down to pet the wolf.

“I see you’ve meet Wolves,” Twilight said brightly. Wild nodded.

“Yea, of course, I-“ Wild’s smile fell as he looked up and locked eyes with a happy Twilight. “Not you too, Twi.” Twilight’s smile suddenly turned frightening.

“Me too.”

Wild scrambled to his feet and ran to the edge of the camp. Things were getting way too strange. The light radiating from the two battling heroes as they rose further into the sky was enough to illuminate his path. He came across Hyrule, who was crouched down and looking at some flowers that caught his eye. Wild knelt by his side with a heavy sigh.

“Something up?” The traveler asked his friend. Wild shook his head.

“Everyone’s got these things called Stands and they’re acting really strange.” He exhaled and rubbed his temples. “It’s just so weird.”

Hyrule patted his back. “I understand, take all the time you need. Lost and I will be here for you.”

“Lost?” Wild asked raising an eyebrow. “You're not lost.”

Hyrule chuckled a bit and pointed to his side. “No, I’m not lost, I mean my friend Lost.”

Wild leaned forward and saw a map unfurled on the floor. He took a closer look and saw writing appear from an invisible hand.  _Hello, I’m Lost, nice to meet you_ , it read. Wild dropped it and ran.

When he got to camp, the action had died down. Wind and Four had fallen asleep, their Stands nowhere to be seen, while Twilight was sitting alone, drawing in his sketchbook. Legend and Warriors were teleporting around various places in the sky, hurling objects and trees at each other. Sky slept soundly with Free Bird by his side. Time was the only one left awake, sitting by the fire reading a book. Wild sat by his side.

“You came back at the perfect time. Everyone just settled down.” 

“Thank Hylia,” Wild mumbled. “Where did those things even come from?”

Time shrugged. “My best guess is that meteor. It felt pretty odd.”

“Probably. I wonder why you and I didn’t get one.”

“You think you didn’t get one?” Wild shook his head and Time smiled. “Hm, let's see about that.”

Time closed his eye and a bright green aura formed around him. He grabbed Wild’s hand, and the champion immediately felt power surge through him. When Time let go, the power stayed. Wild looked hard at his hand and listened to Time laugh.

“Looks like you were wrong, champ. I think you should give Woods a go”

“Woods?” Wild asked, amazed. Time nodded.

“Try it.”

Wild wasn’t sure what that meant, but he closed his eyes and tried to grab hold of the power. He instantly knew what he could do. He opened his mouth and whistled beautifully. A few little birds landed on his shoulder and some squirrels perched by his feet. Wild watched in amazement while Time chuckled.

“Looks like you’ve got it, cub.”

And that’s how Wild became a Disney Princess.  
  


* * *

** BONUS: **

Wild stood on the edge of the forest, a terrifying, malevolent glint in his eyes. Warriors and Legend were already battered from their earlier battle, fighting each other while not knowing the real enemy was the unassuming champion. Wind, Four, Sky, and Twilight stood defiantly in front of the two exhausted heroes, summoning their Stands to their sides.

“Don’t make us do this Wild,” Twilight called to his cub. The boy only grinned menacingly.

“Oh you won’t be doing anything, Twi, except getting crushed.”

“Crushed? By you and what army?” Four shouted. 

Wild raised an eyebrow and leaned back, cackling. “Me and what army?! Look around you Four, this is my army!”

The whole forest, grass, world it seemed bent to Wild’s will, animals of all shapes and sizes rushing to his side. Their eyes glowed bright blue, the same color as Wild’s eyes. He gestured his arm around in a sweeping manner and summoned a cape that flowed behind him as the other heroes watched in horror.

“Still want a fight? Bring it on!” With a battle cry from Wind, the sailor summoned a massive tidal wave while Four grew into a giant. Twilight and Sky raced forward with their Stands next to them, while Wild only crossed his arms and laughed hysterically. Time watched the battle from afar, sipping on his mug of milk.

“Kids,” he said with a shake of his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s a quick rundown of everyone’s Stand abilities that I came up with in like 5 minutes at 4am
> 
> Wind— Ocean Man (by Ween); summon tsunamis from anywhere  
> Leg— Dream On (by Aerosmith); creates dreamlike illusions  
> War— Watchtower (All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix); He can just punch really hard really fast  
> Rule— Lost (by Frank Ocean); A magic map that adjust to anywhere and gives him tips  
> Four— Doorman (by Slowthai); lets him become a giant  
> Sky— Free Bird (by Lynyrd Skynyrd); just a loftwing on the go  
> Time— Clocks (by Coldplay); lets him fast forward time  
> Twi— Wolves (by Kanye West); just a big wolf  
> Wild— Woods (by Bon Iver); can talk to and summon animals
> 
> Bonus added for BananaUhl :)


	9. Again and Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link needs to get back up. But sometimes, it’s hard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No dialogue, just vibes. Sad, angst vibes  
> Inspired by Chapter 1 of Swift violets by Lalalando. Check them out their awesome
> 
> Warning for: mentions of blood, injury, and death

Link could hardly see through the matted hair that was plastered to his face by the rain. It was dark out, for the sun was covered maliciously by the clouds that stormed relentlessly overhead. The edges of Link’s vision started growing dark. Not good. He spotted a ruined house just a few feet away. Deciding that was his best bet, he crawled slowly through the mud, feeling it slip through his fingers and the cold seep into his bones. When he finally got under the cover, he pushed himself against the wood of the walls and slumped onto his injured side. Link felt at the wound, pulling his hand back and seeing it was covered in red.

With uncoordinated movements, he scrolled through the inventory of his slate, looking for something to heal him, anything. But he put it back down after a few minutes, empty-handed. He turned his head upward and looked through the slits in between planks of wood, staring at the grey sky overhead. So this was how he was going to die, at the hands of some stupid Lizalfos that managed to catch him off guard, in the middle of an abandoned ruin, alone.

Link had to admit, it was rather fitting for someone like him. A failure, a sorry excuse of not only a hero but a person. Hardly even half the man he used to be, the man who died a hundred years ago honorably protecting the princess. Without even a fraction of the memories, how could he even claim to call himself Link? And yet, the regrets, sorrow, and weight that he felt while reliving the past still stayed in his soul. He could never escape it, even if he didn’t even know the reason why he felt that way. 

The darkness was slowly but surely consuming his sight. Everything was unfocused, unseen. The wound bled lazily onto his Hylian Tunic. He was glad he dyed it red. Mipha’s Grace recharged quietly in his soul, but it wouldn’t come in time. Even if some traveler found his body, there would be no way to get it out safely to a nearby village without risking a monster attack. Link let out a shuttered breath. His lungs were burning from the exertion of breathing. It’d be much easier not to.

Link never liked the dark, and even though it was technically still daytime, his fading vision frightened him. It reminded him of the broken recollections of being shoved into that cold coffin. The voices of whoever was putting him in hurt his head, even though it sounded like they were talking through water. And then they really were, when the liquid surrounded his body, invading every crevice it could snake its way into. The pain was agonizing, but being healed by that thing was torture. And the few times he’d woken up while trapped in there, the horrifying sea of blue surrounding him, the unmovable surface preventing any chance of escape, the feeling of not being able to move his limbs, not for lack of trying, but because there was no room and he couldn’t breathe and-

He stopped the train of thought. What good would that do him now? No point in remembering the first time he died, nor the subsequent times after that. Not when he was officially going to sign his will now. He wondered if Zelda could see him now. Link could always feel a special presence whenever he was in a particularly difficult battle or on the brink of death. It was warm and wrapped around his shoulders like a reassuring embrace. It whispered words of comfort and love into his ear in a language he couldn’t understand. It was ancient, but Link could always understand its intentions. 

Now, he was cold. No, he was freezing. His teeth chattered together, and Link worried he’d break a tooth from how hard he was shivering. He moved his arms to try and warm himself, but the pain that shot up his side forced them back down. He looked in the direction of Hyrule Field. The open expanse was always terrifying: Guardians and other monsters had made the sea of grass their hotspot. But he felt something calling him. It was similar to the presence, but grander. It shone green instead of gold, was encouraging rather than coddling. This new being reached past his soul and into Link’s very spirit and gave him a nudge. The back of his hand suddenly itched like something was missing.

Link reached into his slate and tore a piece of fabric from his old trousers, lifting his shirt, and wrapping it tightly around the wound. The makeshift bandage would have to work for now. He unhooked the Master Sword from his back, keeping it in its sheath. It was warm in his hand. Link steeled himself, counting to ten and then back down to one, before pushing himself to his feet with great effort. Every inch of his body ached and his wound burned. But he pushed past it. 

Once he was standing, Link took multiple deep breaths. The rain had yet to let up, but that didn’t matter anymore. He trained his eyes on Hyrule Field, and beyond that, the castle. And he took the first step of many.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Trials of the Sword and Master Mode made me do this. I swear the beginning trials were so much harder than the middle.  
> 


	10. Endless Petals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Zelda talk after the Calamity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lowkey a twoshot with the last chapter. Heavily based on the true ending of BOTW, so I guess spoilers if you haven't finished or collected all memories and freed all Divine Beasts

Link kept his eyes on the castle. It’s figure stood dark against the blue skies. The dark cloud of malice that was constantly swirling around it was gone, replaced with an emptiness that left Link feeling much the same way. The lonely castle stayed strong against the breeze, but he knew every floor, wall, crevice was breathing with life for the first time in a century.

“We'll make our way to Zora’s Domain,” the prin- no Zelda as she kept insisting he call her, said. “Divine Beast Vah Ruta... looks like it stopped working. Let’s investigate the situation.” She glanced up from the Sheikah Slate, the grin falling from her face into a more sorrowful expression. Link felt his heart ache at the sight. “Mipha’s father...”

She trailed off again, staring deeply at the sight. Link understood, or he thought he did. From what few memories he’d recovered and his friendship with Sidon, he knew how much Mipha meant to everyone. To him. He reached into his soul and felt at the place where her Grace had been. All that was left behind now that she and the others had finally found peace was a dark hole like the one in his mind where his memories should be. It scared him, being for the first time since he first woke up truly alone. Zelda’s sigh pulled him out of his thoughts.

“I believe that he would like to hear more about her. The least we can do is visit him and offer him some closure. Although Ganon is gone, there is still so much to do, and” she paused and Link saw her eyes flick to him for a moment, “so many painful memories that we must bear.”

The lead in Link’s heart weighed down upon him more than ever before. The sword strapped to his back felt like it would burn straight through his tunic into his back. Any words he might’ve said caught in his throat and made him feel like he was choking. Painful memories were all he had. Scraps and pieces of visions of the past was all that he knew of himself. He was barely even a shell of a person, built on nothing but the experiences of someone who’d died a hundred years ago. Someone he’d never be. Link didn’t realize he’d tuned Zelda out until she said “Let’s go” and made her way to their horses. He followed after her but stopped a few paces away from her when she stopped.

“I can no longer hear the voice inside the sword.” Her voice wavered, though he could not see her face. “I suppose it would make sense if my power had dwindled over the past one hundred years.”

Link remembered their trips to the Springs of the Goddesses, how her father had spoken to her, how she’d cried in his arms. His fingers instinctively twitched for the sword. He had the rather strong urge to hurl the thing to the bottom of Lake Hylia when he recalled those times.

He expected to see her back, but Zelda turned to him. Slowly at first, stopping midway through the motion. Regret and sadness flashed across her features, the small grin not being enough to hide the fact. Her eyes stayed on the ground, tracing the path the wind made through the grass. Eventually, she looked at him and turned completely, her grin widening, becoming genuine.

“I’m surprised to admit it, but I can accept that.”

And at last, she smiled. The clouds covering the sun parted, and its rays shone down on Zelda, highlighting every inch of her in golden light. She stood heavenly before him, lifting the pounds sitting on his heart with just the simple expression. But it was anything but simple. The world revolved around her for that moment, time seeming to stop and speed up as her lips parted to reveal the expression. Euphoria poured from her, spreading warmly from Link’s chest outward. The hole in his mind and soul no longer seemed so dark. His existence no longer seemed so lonely. The sword hummed in agreement.

Zelda turned back and made her way to the horses. Link wondered if she knew just how much she’d changed his world. The breeze picked up again and Link followed after her, letting his feet move happily on their own. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the field of Silent Princesses sway gently, an uncountable number of petals filling every inch of air before him like heavy snow. The tiny pieces filled his sight, but he never lost track of Zelda among the storm. He never would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit more heartwarming after the last chapter, eh? Zelink? Maybe, I'll never say.


	11. Ebbing Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link makes a choice for Mipha, and eventually himself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For DrSkeletor: I have a request: Link uses the Zora Mask so that he can be with Mipha for her entire life. He knows full well that he's going to inherit the Zora's weakness to electricity and he'll never fully overcome that, there are skills he will outright need to relearn in his new body, and chances are he'll have to fight Ganon at least two more times in his extended life but they're sacrifices he's willing to make.
> 
> As for how Link gets the Zora Mask? Either he went on a quest to get it or Muzu has the ancient mask in his possession and demands Link become a Zora if he is to be their Prince.
> 
> Warnings for: Injury, canon typical violence (but nothing major)

The fabric draped over Link’s hands, spilling in delicate ripples and pooling on the floor in a dark blue and silver pile. He set it down on the waterbed beside him and ran a hand over his face.

_ “I made this for you,” Mipha said bashfully as Link took the outfit from her hands. _

_ “But this is-“ _

_ “I know you aren’t a Zora,” she interrupted, keeping her eyes down, “but I wish to spend whatever time you have here by your side.  _

_ He eyed it with heat building behind his eyes and guilt mounting in his chest. “Mipha, I-“ _

Link shook away the memory and leaned back on the bed. He could never refuse her, he loved Mipha more than he had anyone else. And with the Calamity thankfully averted and a peaceful future ahead of them, he wasn’t shackled with the responsibilities of being one of Hyrule’s only hopes. But he couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Mipha behind. Not even unwillingly. But it was either break her heart now or sometime down the line and leave her alone. 

“Looks like you're in quite the predicament.”

Link turned his head to the side and saw Muzu standing smugly with his hands behind his back in the archway of Link’s room. He mentally cursed the openness of Zora’s Domain. But it was something he’d have to get used to. Muzu’s gaze flicked to the armor beside Link and narrowed at the sight.

“Ah, I see the princess has made a grave mistake. Marrying a Hylian is never a good idea, but especially not you.”

Link pushed himself into a sitting position and closed his eyes to try and keep his patience, which was already running dangerously thin. “What is it you’d like to speak to me about?”

“At first, nothing of note, just that a council meeting would be occurring soon. But it appears Lady Mipha has been weighing heavily on your mind.” Link didn’t respond, so Muzu continued. “Though, I may have a solution to your problem. But I’m not sure if I’m willing to show it to you.”

His ears perked at the proposition. “What is it?”

Muzu scoffed and turned but didn’t leave, waiting for Link to join him. The champion quickly got to his feet and followed him out and to a small chamber hidden beneath the stairs that lead to the throne room. It was dark, with the only light coming from a tiny window high on the wall of the room. Tables lined both walls and were littered with papers and drawings of what looked like masks and other strange artifacts, but Link could only make out a few words reading  Lens of Truth... Termina... 3 days...

“Well, what are you waiting for? Drag that chest out,” Muzu demanded, pointing to the mentioned container that sat behind a crate. Link pulled it in front of the Zora, who proceeded to clumsily place a key inside of the lock and opened it. “Take a look.”

Link obeyed, leaning inside and feeling around until his hand felt something smooth. He grabbed it and pulled it into view, brushing off a layer of dust that had collected atop the object. He brought it into view and saw it was a mask resembling a Zora, blue that faded to bright green around the edges. 

“It’s an ancient object from the Era of Myths, rumored to be used by a legendary hero who could manipulate time to his will.” Muzu placed a hand on top of the mask. “It’s said to have the power to turn its wearer into one of our race.”

“Is it true?” Link whispered, his heart racing at the thought. Muzu shrugged.

“Perhaps, but putting it on means you will never be able to change back.”

Link clenched his jaw and flipped the mask over in his hand. His face would fit perfectly in the carving. It almost seemed to call to him. And if he did, he could stay with her.

“Let’s do it.”

Muzu eyed him with slight bewilderment. “You're positive this is what you want?”

Link stared at him with hard determination. “I know it is.”

“Very well, if it will make Lady Mipha happy then,” Muzu hesitated, “I pray it will succeed.”

Link gulped as he held it to his face. “As do I.” With not a second to waste, he put the mask on, and his world erupted into a sea of pain. Stars swam in his distorted vision, the world spun wildly, and the last thing he remembered was letting out a piercing scream that must’ve woken up the entire domain. And then everything went black.

━━━O━━━

_ “ No matter what,” Mipha said as the soft light beneath her hands began to dim and the pain in Link’s arm subsided, “I will always heal you. I want you to know that.” _

_ Link flexed the muscle and smiled at her. “Thank you Mipha.” _

_ She blushed, the blue lightly touching her cheeks and contrasting with her red skin. Mipha placed a gentle hand on Link’s face. _

_ “Link...” her voice seemed to fade. _

“Link!”

His eyes shot opened and his head immediately filled with pain. He let out a groan and felt a hand rest on his head.

“You’re alright, I’m here.” The voice was muffled and he couldn’t make out who it was.

“S-sorry,” he stuttered incoherently, not sure what he was apologizing for. His hearing started to clear up.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” they said. Mipha. Link’s pain melted under her touch and he suddenly remembered why he was lying there. He bolted upright and met her eyes, which were filled with confusion.

“Oh,” he said dumbly. Her face changed from mild concern to irritation, which seemed unnatural on her usually gentle features.

“Oh?” She repeated. “You have nothing more to say?”

Link looked at his hands and the only word that came to his mind was  blue . He looked up and into the mirror that was hung directly across from the bed. He certainly looked like a Zora, mostly blue while the edges of his... scales(?) were the same green as on the mask.

“Cool,” he whispered, a smile tugging on his lips. Mipha huffed and stood from her seat.

“Not  cool, Link,” she snapped. “What exactly did you do? Why are you a Zora now?”

He scratched the back of his neck, which was strangled free of hair, and felt heat creeping up to his cheeks. “I put on a mask that turned me into a Zora.”

“Permanently?”

He nodded. “Permanently.”

“And who gave it to you?”

“Muzu,” he provided reluctantly. Mipha sighed and sat back down. “Sorry.”

She turned her attention back to him, her face changing back to its usual look of love and care. “As I said you have nothing to apologize for. I should be the one...” she trailed off before shaking her head. “Why did you do it?”

Link blinked at her a few times before furrowing his eyebrows, to whatever they were now, in confusion. “Because I want to be with you for the rest of your life, not just mine.” Mipha jerked back in surprise and mouthed oh, before turning her eyes down.

“Link...” she sighed deeply and grabbed his hand. “Is this truly what you want?”

Link huffed and crossed his arms, which proved slightly more difficult with the new fins on his forearm. “Why does everyone keep asking me that? Of course, it is, or I wouldn’t have done it.”

Mipha stayed silent for a moment, the gears turning in her mind. So many emotions flickered across her face he wondered if she would breakdown. Instead, she looked back at him with a small smile dancing across her lips. “Then you’ll marry me?”

Link grinned lopsidedly and felt his oddly sharp teeth poke out. “No question.”

━━━O━━━

Getting used to being a Zora was not a simple task. They were naturally lighter than Hylians and had less dense bones, and even though Link never weighed much before, it was strange having to adjust his balance to account for his new biology. While the process of getting readjusted was hard, the hardest part was having to sell all of his precious shock arrows. He’d nearly cried when Zelda snatched the entire quiver and gave each and every one of his hard-earned and collected 133 arrows to the vendor in Gerudo Town for a bag full of rupees. 

But, being a Zora had some pretty great perks that Link was more than happy to have. He finally learned how to swim! And while he never really enjoyed the water before, mostly out of fear of dying, he loved basking in the coolness of the sea and rivers and lakes. And it made traveling ten times faster. So after a few months of practicing, Link figured it was time for his first challenge and climbed up Ploymus Mountain to confront the Lynel at Shatterback point, without notifying his fiancé, of course. 

And there he stood, waiting for the right moment behind a rock, carefully observing the shock arrows the beast had at the ready. He didn’t think it was a very good idea, confronting the monster without any form of shock protection, considering he was a Zora now, but it was dangerous to have such a powerful enemy so close to the domain that had a deadly weapon, so he would take his chances.

When it got closer to the rock, he decided to attack and rolled from behind to fire a volley of arrows straight into its skull. They hit their target, landing right in between the monster’s eyes. It reared back in pain, and Link took the opportunity to hop onto its back. The Lynel tried to buck him off violently, swinging him easily through the air, but Link stabbed his sword into its neck and held on tight. It finally managed to fling him off, but he quickly adjusted himself and prepared another round of arrows. But the Lynel was fast and galloped straight towards him at breakneck speeds. He waited until the very last second to dodge, timing it perfectly. Time seemed to slow around him as he lunged forward and unleashed a flurry of attacks with the sword he’d brought. It was in times like these he wished he still had the Master Sword.

Time returned to its normal flow and the Lynel fell to its knees, trying to recover. Link backed up and knocked a few bomb arrows before unleashing them at the creature. It roared in pain as the arrows made contact, and Link smiled, satisfied. He kept his sword in hand just in case and walked over slowly as the dust settled. But a small glint of something yellow caught his eye, and the feeling of his hairs- or his scales (he still wasn’t used to that) reacted to something in the air that nipped at his arms. Finally, he could make out a buzz of electricity, and Link’s heart dropped to his stomach as he saw the Lynel pointing a shock arrow directly at the Hero. With little time to react, Link brought his sword behind his head and threw it as he sidestepped to the left.

And he dodged the arrow. Or, he thought he did. He felt the air crackle as it whizzed by his torso and was about to celebrate a victory before his entire body seized up and he fell to the ground. Agonizing, burning pain ripped out from his side in waves, causing his limbs to shake every time they did. His body felt like it was being dumped straight into Death Mountain, and his consciousness was quickly fading. He watched the Lynel fall to its knees and fall over as the sword embedded itself in deep in its neck. He felt the tingling feeling of triumph just before he closed his eyes.

━━━O━━━

_ “And you did this for me?” Mipha asked, gesturing to the pile of gems he’d laid out on the table. Link nodded and wiped some sweat from his forehead. _

_ “Is it not enough?” _

_ Mipha stared with a strange look at the rocks before suddenly turning to her fiancé and shaking her head vigorously. “This is more than enough Link, it’s amazing how much you managed to get, but I wish you wouldn’t focus so much on me.” _

_ He cocked his head to the side. “But I love you.” _

_ She giggled behind her hand. “It seems you don’t understand, but I suppose that’s alright for now.” She placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him. “I love you too.” _

━━━O━━━

“... be alright, I promise... hang in there.... Link, please...”

His entire body ached, he thought dully. Everything hurt, besides his side which was the only thing that felt moderately comfortable, so Link shifted his focus there and tried to ignore the overwhelming throbbing feeling that threatened to send him back into unconsciousness. Eventually, his breathing managed to even out, and he cracked one eye open to try and see who’d been speaking before. His gaze met with two amber pupils.

Fuck , he thought. He was in trouble.

“Link? Are you alright?” Mipha asked worriedly. Link tried to nod, but the muscles in his neck refused.

“Good,” he stammered, sounding obviously not good. Mipha’s hand moved to his forehead, cooling his skin. The sun beat down incessantly overhead. Goddess, he wished it would rain, he'd probably feel a lot better than burning alive from the inside and out.

“Shock arrow,” Mipha muttered to herself. “It’s a miracle you're still alive.”

“When isn’t it?” Link tried to joke. 

Mipha frowned. “Please don’t do this ever again.”

“I needed to, the Lynel was dangerous and could’ve killed someone in the domain if I didn’t.” He sucked in a breath as pain echoed through his limbs before he continued. “I had to do this for everyone to be safe.”

She lifted her hands and stopped healing him while she turned her head to the horizon. “You did this for others?” Link nodded but said nothing. She continued. “Is that why you live? For others’ sake?”

He blinked at her, forgetting the injury he’d received. Her voice was as calm as always, but her eyes were distant. “I- I try to help wherever I can.”

“But you’ve never truly lived for yourself, have you?” He swallowed, suddenly feeling very small. “When was the last time you thought of your future?”

“Wha-“ Mipha stared at him intensely. He’d never seen that look on her before, and couldn’t pinpoint it. “When you talk to me about our plans, our wedding, and the like.”

“That was our future, not yours alone. So tell me Link,” she leaned in close. “Have you ever considered what your life might be like beyond tomorrow?“

Link’s head spun as Mipha leaned closer and closer until the only thing in his sight were her shining eyes. “I-“ the words for stuck in his throat, and he opened and closed his mouth dumbly. Mipha’s face fell as she saw him struggle and she grabbed his hand, sending her grace to his core. 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

Link bit his lip and closed his eyes. The pressure was threatening to spill over into tears. He hadn’t felt this small in a long time, not since before he got the Master Sword. He’d always been the first to try and help people, it’s what he based his whole life on, why he’d wanted to become a knight, why wielding the Master Sword felt so right. As long as there was a problem, Link would be there to solve it, whether it involved risking his life or not. 

But ever since he defeated Calamity Ganon, ever since the kingdom had prospered and Zelda let him retire from duty, he’d been... lost. Like he was chasing after something he’d never reach. It lessened when Mipha proposed to him, and he nearly forgot about it when he put on the Zora mask, but it was always there, goading him to try and catch it. Try and feel complete, to try and live the way he wanted without anything going horribly wrong. And here he was, lying unable to move on his back after trying to solve another problem. Trying to live for others.

“What’s the point?” He choked out. Mipha turned to him but stayed silent. “What’s the point of me if I can’t help people if I don’t do everything for others?” It took everything in his power to drape his arm over his eyes. “Why do I exist if not for that reason?”

Mipha rested a delicate hand on top of his arm. “You exist for yourself, Link. Not for me, or for the domain or Zelda or the goddesses.“

“I don’t know how to live like that,” he whispered. Mipha sighed and gently lifted his arm from his eyes, wiping away his tears with her thumb. He could hardly see her face since the sun hung directly behind her, but she radiated understanding and warmth,

“Then you’ll learn. We’ll learn, together.” She paused before adding with a smile in her voice. “That is if you would still like to.”

Link nearly jumped to his feet at that, but he was still incapacitated. So, he settled on yelling. “Of course I would! I didn’t become a Zora for no reason.”

“Then I would at least hope you learn your limitations. Healing from a shock arrow is not an easy feat,” she warned without any anger. Her tone softened. “The threat of Calamity Ganon still looms, and with your life span now, you may have to face it again.”

Link clenched her hand and squeezed tightly. “I’m willing to fight him a hundred times over if it means I can stay by your side.”

She squeezed back. “Then, you truly want to stay with me?”

The clouds floated away gently, like great white ripples in the sky. Link’s heart fluttered with the breeze that blew through the grass beneath his body and he could feel Mipha’s pulse pounding in her palms. The world seemed to hold its breath as it waited for his answer, though he was sure it wasn’t that hard to guess what’d it be. It appeared as though the wilds wished for the hero to make a choice for himself.

He hummed and looked up at the sky happily. “I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh this turned out cuter and way more angsty than I thought it’d be. And honestly? Awesome request, I could’ve never thought of something like this. And perfect timing since I’m currently playing go Majora’s Mask.  
> And I can’t help but sprinkle in memories in like every one of my oneshots. It’s a habit I’ve grown to love.


	12. Peace and Unity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group gets transported to an unexpectedly familiar yet foreign Hyrule, and meet a familiar(?) face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the LU group are back! I’ve had this written for a while and it involves Age of Calamity, so spoilers if you still haven’t played the game
> 
> Warning for: temporary character death, injury

“Ok does anyone know-“

“Yes,” Wild responded curtly. Time eyed him but let the tone slide. 

“Care to elaborate?” Legend asked, already getting annoyed. Wild didn’t take the bait. He was hyper focused on something in the distance and his face was hard.

“This is my Hyrule, 100 years ago,” he answered. Time watched Legend’s eyes widen in realization before looking at the ground and mumbling something no one could here. The rest of the group stayed silent as Wild unhooked his Sheikah Slate and tapped on it vigorously, his brows furrowing in concern and slight confusion. Time was just about to walk over to him and have a talk when Wild’s head snapped up and he cleared his throat.

“Somethings strange about this place.”

“What’s wrong?” Twilight asked, looking over his shoulder at the slate.

“The Sheikah Slate is working,” Wild responded. Warriors raised an eyebrow.

“How is that bad? It never works outside of your Hyrule.”

Wild sighed in exasperation before continuing. “This is my Hyrule 100 years ago. The towers weren’t activated until the start of my journey. The fact that it’s working now means that someone activated them and they have a Sheikah Slate.” He pointed to what he’d been staring at. “We need to go to the castle and see what’s up.”

Time nodded in agreement. “I’m sure your Zelda would be able to explain.”

Wind jumped up in excitement at an idea he’d just come up with. “Does that mean we get to meet your family?”

Wild stiffened and clenched his jaw tightly. Warriors noticed and pulled Wind to his side, distracting the boy with a story. Hyrule grabbed Wild’s hand and smiled at him, calming the champion’s nerves. Four eyed Twilight knowingly before taking up a spot on the opposite side of Wild, walking beside him a short distance away. 

“Will he be alright?” Time asked Twilight in a low voice. Twilight shrugged but kept his concerned gaze focused on his cub.

“We can only hope.”

━━━O━━━

The vibe of Castle Town was eerily familiar. The streets were almost completely empty besides the soldiers who were cleaning and builders who were reconstructing broken buildings. It was scarily similar to Warriors’s Hyrule, which seemed to be constantly at war. No one stopped the group of heroes as they made their way up the steps, recognizing Wild’s Champion’s Tunic and letting him past. He kept his hood up and voice low the entire way. 

They stepped into the castle, which was also in a similar state of repair. Beams and rubble blocked doorways and was being cleared. The throne room, which was enormous and far larger than any other, had a wooden floor in the center that was built haphazardly in order to cover a massive pit that lied below. Wild glanced at it before turning away and deciding not to look back. 

Wild led them to the massive library where a single intact table sat by the staircase. A figure with golden hair sat hunched over a pile of books and documents that were strewn about in a hurry. The group approached carefully and stood in silence, waiting for Wild to say something, before Time grew annoyed and cleared his throat to get the person’s attention. It was Flora, or her from 100 years ago, green eyes scanned the group in suspicion before settling on Wild. She looked at him strangely before speaking.

“Link?”

Wild clenched his fist until they were white and took a deep breath. He lowered his hood and met Flora’s eyes, which widened in shock and horror.

“Oh my goddess, what happened to you?” She bolted from the seat and reached out to touch Wild’s face, but he back up in a split second and avoided her hand. She looked at him in disbelief while he stared at her, completely dumbfounded.

“I- I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have presumed it was ok to touch you,” she said quickly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ears. “I was just so... surprised to see your appearance. You didn’t have those scars yesterday...” she trailed off as she observed the rest of the group more closely. “I wasn’t expecting you so early in the day either. Though I suppose-“

Flora’s sentence stopped when the door behind her opened. They all turned to the source and saw... Wild? Well, not Wild, but him 100 years ago, with no scars and completely stone faced. He took one look at Wild in his Champion’s tunic and placed a tentative hand on the hilt of his sword.

“No, Link! It’s ok, these people are...” She glanced down at the back of her hand, where her Triforce was glowing. The group stared in confusion. Flora never had this much control over her powers.

“Well, I think they’re you!” She said with a smile.

━━━O━━━

Time watched Flo- no, Zelda, as she took a sip of her teacup before setting it back down. They moved to her study after their initial encounter, but only Time, Sky, Wild, and Twilight were allowed to come. And her Link, of course. Sky’s knee shook nervously in his chair and Twilight couldn’t help fidgeting with his hands. Time noticed Wild’s expression was a mixture of horror, confusion, and fear, while Link’s face betrayed none of his feelings. Zelda clapped her hands, startling all the heroes and getting their attention.

“So, what brings you all to my time?” She asked brightly. Time decided it’d be best if he spoke, since Sky seemed unusually anxious today.

“The goddess Hylia,” she clicked her tongue in slight annoyance at the mention of the goddess,” brought together incarnations of the Hero’s Spirit from across time to defeat an unspecified evil. I know much of your history has been lost, but I am the Hero of Time. We all have nicknames corresponding with our hero titles, so I’m Time, he’s Twilight, Sky, and...” Time stopped and sighed. He gestured to Wild to explain. The champion cleared his throat before speaking.

“I’m-“ his voice was shaky but he took a breath before continuing. “I’m the Hero of the Wild. I’m from 100 years in your future. After Calamity Ganon-“

“Took control of the Divine Beasts and Guardians and wreaked havoc on the kingdom,” Zelda finished for him calmly. Wild was shocked to say the least. “Yes I’m familiar with some champions from your future. Sidon, Riju, Teba, and Yunobo. They were brought from the future, your future, and we fought Calamity Ganon and defeated him before he could destroy everything.”

Wild nodded and stood silent, his eyes flicking to Link who was sentinel at Zelda’s side. She continued. “I suppose that means you are Link from that future. But I don’t know how exactly you are still... alive? You must be a very old man,” she added with a pleasant grin, but Wild still flinched slightly. She noticed and quickly dropped the topic.

“That’s a story for another day, though. I’m guessing you must take my Link with you on your adventure, am I correct?” 

“Yes, sadly,” Sky said. “The Master Sword will give you your hero name, if you don’t already know it.”

Zelda shook her head. “He doesn’t have one yet. We just defeated the Calamity a few months ago, so we haven’t had time to record everything completely. Link if you will.”

Time took note of how Zelda seemed to respond for him like he was mute. He watched as Link unsheathed the glowing sword from his back. It shone bright blue, as it did when with other heroes. It glowed brighter for a few moments before dimming. Zelda nodded at it and waved her hand. Link placed the sword back on his back and stood motionless again.

“It says his title is the Hero of Unity, which I suppose it rather fitting,” she said with a smile. 

“You can hear her?!” Sky asked in surprise. She nodded and Time wasn’t sure of Sky was going to breakdown or hug her. He instead smiled graciously and thanked her quietly.

“I guess I also need a nickname too, don’t I?” She tilted her head to the side before her eyes shone with excitement. “What about Peace? Since I hope to bring about a time of peace after the Calamity.”

Time smiled at the name, reminded of his own Zelda’s wish for a peaceful future when they were children. “That’s a wonderful suggestion, Peace.”

Her smile did not fade. “Lovely! You will all of course be provided with accommodations inside the castle, and I would hope that you would be willing to be subjected to a short series of interviews and tests so we can better record the history of our kingdom.” Once a researcher, always a researcher. Time nodded.

“Then,” Peace said, turning to address Link, or Unity now. “I’ll see you later. Please come back soon, I shall sorely miss your company.”

Unity tilted his head down in acknowledgment before leading the heroes down the hall and to their rooms.

━━━O━━━

Peace stared out the window over Castletown. The repairs were coming along quickly and would be done within the year. Her long awaited era without strife was soon to come. She looked down at her Triforce. It still glittered brightly whenever she called upon the power of the goddess, but she preferred not too. Peace was still not on good terms with Hylia, even if she did grant her the divine power when she needed it most. A knock on the door followed by the entrance of Lin- Unity, now, interrupted her thoughts.

“You may sit,” she said, watching as he nodded stiffly before taking the seat across from her. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears, and she wondered if he felt the same. Peace shook the silly thoughts from her head. She was a princess, he was a knight, a relationship beyond what was required would be inappropriate.

“I wanted to bid you a proper farewell. Before your journey.” She reached into her desk and pulled out the gift she’d made for him. “Here, I’d like you to take this with you. It could be useful.”

Unity took the wrapped box and held it uneasily. Peace gestured for him to open it and waited with anticipation as he carefully undid the paper wrapping the box and opened it. Inside we’re a full quiver of light arrows, blessed with Peace’s power from the goddess. She looked at his face and expected a smile or shock or awe, but there was nothing but his usual neutrality. She bit her lip and beat down the rising anger bubbling in her stomach. She wished he would just talk to her. At least he was learning sign language.

“I hope you find use for it,” she finally said. Unity held up a hand hesitantly.

_ Thank you _ , he signed, the corner of his lips threatening to twitch upward. Peace smiled widely.

“Just come back in one piece.”

━━━O━━━

Time of course never found it easy to sleep. That night was no different from the others. He sat by the window, looking over the beautiful kingdom in the night. It truly was breathtaking, the various settlements scattered about Hyrule Field, the mountains in the distance. It was strange, being in a kingdom this peaceful, but Time couldn’t help but let his guard down.

Wild took a seat next to him, looking out the window by the older hero’s side. He’d been silent since their meeting with the new hero and this Hyrule’s Zelda. Time could understand, but he didn’t want to push the issue out of fear of causing a breakdown in the already emotionally fragile hero. He waited for the champion to speak first, which he always did.

“I’m glad we came here,” Wild whispered, his face radiating nostalgia. Time was surprised at his positive attitude, fully expecting him to have a breakdown.

“Why?” Time couldn’t help but ask.

“It’s proof that the kingdom isn’t completely doomed,” he replied, “And it’s something to strive towards. For rebuilding everything back in my Hyrule.”

Time smiled at Wild’s optimism. “It can’t be easy, being here, seeing yourself, or a version of yourself, like that.”

Wild sighed and out his head down in his arms. “Of course not. It’s really fucking hard. It’s a reminder of everything I’ve lost and it makes me feel incredibly guilty. But I can’t change the past. Well, not my past, so there’s no point in getting hung up about what I could’ve and should’ve done. I’ll try and move forward, it’s always difficult. But at least I’m trying.” Wild smiled up at the older hero, tears shimmering in his eyes. “That’s the least I can do.”

Time pulled the boy into a hug and felt him shake against his chest, the tears wetting his shirt. He looked out the window and recalled a song lost to time.

━━━O━━━

Legend tapped his foot impatiently on the ground. Time knew he would snap any moment now, it was just a matter of counting the seconds until the blood turned the tips of his ears red. In 3, 2, 1...

“What the fuck is taking this guy so long?” The veteran complained. “I knew he was like Wild, but not this much.”

Wild rolled his eyes at the comment. The boy had told the heroes about the situation, which they all immediately grew concerned about. They knew Wild’s past was a sensitive topic and were quick to try and comfort him if he needed it. But the champion, obviously humbled by their care, waved it off and promised them that he’d be ok. Time wasn’t sure if he’d be able to keep the promise, so he kept a close eye on him throughout the day.

“Is that him?” Wind asked excitedly. Unity approached in the distance, wearing what looked like the traditional dye job of the Hylian Tunic. Time sighed in relief, glad he wouldn’t have two identical looking heroes who also wore the same tunic. Hyrule and Wind were the first to approach him.

“Hello! I’m Wind, nice to meetcha!” He held out his hand for Unity to shake, which he did.

“And I’m Hyrule. We’re glad to have you with us.” Unity nodded at them both before looking over the rest of the group. Time stepped forward to introduce everyone.

“Hello again. You already know a few of us, but the others are Legend, Four and Warriors. We’re all very excited to have you join us.”

They stood in silence, waiting for a response. After reading the situation, the new hero’s face turned read but his expression remained neutral. He brought up his hands and quickly made some gestures that looked like sign language before putting his hands back to his side and waiting. The heroes blinked at him awkwardly before Wild walked to his side.

“Can you repeat that for me please?” Unity nodded and repeated the signs. Time was fluent in sign, but he could hardly make out half of what he was saying besides the occasional sign for Link and some conjunctions. Wild watched his hands move intently and smiled when he finished.

“Yea, it’s been kinda weird, but you’ll get used to it eventually. Took me a while though.”

“Hey, mind telling us what he said?” Legend asked, irritation clear in his voice. 

“He just said he can’t wait to start traveling and that it must be a little odd to be around your past lives,” Wild responded with a huff. “My- our sign language is pretty different from you guys, so I’ll have to teach him while we travel.”

“I can help, cub, if you don’t mind of course Unity,” Twilight offered. Wild nodded excitedly.

“Why can’t he talk? He’s not mute is he?” Legend questioned, making Wild flinch. Unity remained stoney as ever.

“Shut the fuck up Legend, everyone’s got their reasons,” Four snapped. Legend held up his hands in defense.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. Its just that Wild can talk even though he... well whatever, it doesn’t matter anyway,” Legend conceded, kicking a pebble in frustration. “Let’s just go.”

Time sighed at the hero’s awkwardness. “Sorry Unity, he’s not usually this-“

“Insensitive? Yes he is,” Warriors finished for him.

“Sure, Warriors. Anyway, he’s right, we should start heading out.”The others nodded and took up positions surrounding Unity and Wild, asking him questions which Wild would translate his response. Time grinned at the sight of them accepting the newest hero.

━━━O━━━

Wild was burnt out. Between teaching Unity new signs, cooking for everyone, and trying to keep his emotions under check, he felt like he was stretched thin. It was hard to focus on one thing for longer than a few minutes before his brain felt fried and he had to take a break. The feeling wasn’t helped by Unity. You’d think that having a friend (he hoped Unity considered him a friend) who is essentially you but from the past with a few differences would be easy, but it was incredibly difficult to deal with. 

Unity was the perfect soldier, which made him a horrible conversation partner. He hated talking about himself and rarely did, instead insisting on speaking about others in the group or the champions, which was always a hard conversation for Wild. He never showed any emotions, apart from the occasional look of surprise. It didn’t help that Wild felt massively inferior to his counterpart in every way. The only thing Wild could boast was his cooking skills, which Unity lacked but not as badly as the others. He was more inexperienced than anything.

They were fighting a horde of moblins one day, which wouldn’t be too hard or unusual if they didn’t have black blood. But they did, and they were extremely aggressive and powerful, dragging the fight on for much longer than the heroes would’ve liked. Unity worked perfectly with the group, applying his military training to a tee, something Wild could never do. He sent sword beams and strikes at whatever was in front of him with deadly efficiency, covering Wild’s back while he fired arrows into the oncoming hoard. 

Despite the difficulties, the fight was going well, until a Moblin decided to skewer Wild. He succeeded, ad the champion was left with a massive pole sticking out of his abdomen.

“Well shit,” he breathed, looking at the wound. He knocked an arrow and fired it straight through the monster’s skull before collapsing. Unity let out a yelp of effort, sprinting to his side and putting his head in his lap. Wild’s vision was blurry and darkening quickly, but he could almost make out a look of panic on the soldier’s face. 

_Don’t worry,_ Mipha will help , Wild signed before closing his eyes and letting out a breath.

A warm, green glow erupted from Wild’s chest and swam through the air around his abdomen, taking the form of a beautiful Zora woman. She healed him and kissed his forehead, breathing life back into his body. He opened his eyes and smiled.

“Thanks Mipha,” Wild said.

“It was my pleasure,” she responded fondly. Her gaze turned Unity, who was staring at her speechless. She smiled at him before disappearing. 

Wild sat up from Unity’s lap and gave him a sheepish look.

“Uh hey.”

The soldier showed a rare bit of emotion, his fist shaking with anger while his brows furrowed tightly.

_ What in the nine hells was that Wild _ _?_ He signed shakily, unable to keep the wrath out of his signs.

“Uh, Mipha’s Grace. She heals me whenever I-“

_ Die _ _?_ He finished. Wild nodded again in shame.

“Yea. Sorry about that, I should’ve told you.”

Unity exhaled, letting go of his anger and his face cooling back to its usual neutrality, but with an added coldness this time.

“Yea I know you guys would get worried if I did.”

_ No I mean your family. Don’t make them worry _ _,_ Unity responded resolutely. Wild froze and stared at him.

“My family?” He whispered. Unity blinked at him in confusion before reaching into his pack and pulling out a picture. He handed it to Wild and watched as the hero traced the faces of his parents and sister with his finger, like he was trying to imprint the image into his brain. Wild’s eyes watered and his voice shook.

“Thank you for showing me this.”

Unity watched Wild as he tried to wipe away tears and hand him back the picture. Unity pushed it back into his hands. It obviously meant more to Wild than the soldier could ever understand.

━━━O━━━

Unity couldn’t sleep. He didn’t know if it was because of his anxiousness with being in a deep woods in Hyrule’s Hyrule, or because of the incessant nightmares that wouldn’t seem to go away. They always made it hard to want to sleep, especially because they were so infrequent. He hated falling asleep and seeing the blood moon, the electric Moblin he’d almost lost an arm fighting and was bleeding out from taking one too many hits from rise again from its grave. He hated hearing the dark prophet Astor scream in agony as the malice corrupted his body. And he especially hated the feeling of being soaked from head to toe in blood that he didn’t know whether it was his or the enemies. 

That night, Unity stayed up. He purposefully took first watch so it wouldn’t be suspicious if he just so happened to not be able to go back to sleep afterwards. Plus, he felt much safer and at home being a guard again. It reminded him of the hectic few months before the Calamity. The memories weren’t fond, but they weren’t unwelcome either. A rustle from behind him made Unity turn and find Wild sitting up in his bed roll with something glowing in his hands. Unity took one last glance at the area ahead before walking over to Wild. He waited until Wild looked up until he started signing.

_ What’s that? _ He pointed to whatever it was he had in his hand.

“A Sheikah Slate. You must have one in your Hyrule if you’ve got the towers activated, right?”

Unity nodded.  _ Yea, but I’m not allowed to use it. Peace is the one who owns it. _

“It was given to me at the start of my adventure. I have a lot of pictures saved on here and I was just looking through them since I don’t have anything better to do right now,” Wild said, turning the screen towards Unity. He peered down at the glowing tablet, where rows of images were shown. They were a mixture of random bits of wildlife and some pictures of Wild or other people.

_ Is this what you do when you can’t sleep? _ Unity flicked through each image with his free hand, taking them in as he did. Wild shrugged.

“I never sleep. It’s not a good time,” he stated simply.

Unity cocked his head.  _ Nightmares too? _

“Yea. I’m guessing you’ve got them based on your phrasing,” Wild added as he raised an eyebrow.

_Sometimes_.

Wild let the silence hang in the air before he spoke. “What about?”

Unity hesitated. He never spoke about himself to, well anyone. It wasn’t knight-like and certainly not befitting of someone who is supposed to be a selfless hero. But he couldn’t help but give in, especially not when a hero who’d gone through far more than he did and still came out with nightmares admitted to the fact so readily.

_ Fighting. Have you ever heard of a blood moon? _ Wild nodded, so Unity continued.  _ There was one, once, when we were entering the final battle against Calamity Ganon. It was terrifying. That was the closest I’ve ever come to dying and I never want to be in that situation again. _

Wild stayed quiet, nodding along to his description and sighing when he finished. “Are you scared of dying?”

Unity thought about that for a moment before responding.  _ Yes, and everyone should be. It’s what pushes us to keep fighting when everything else seems lost. But I’m more scared of...  _ He didn’t want to finish that sentence. But he had to.  _ I’m scared of failing. _

Wild’s shoulders tensed up. “But why? You haven’t failed, your kingdom averted destruction. You won.”

_Because the peace is so fragile that of I make one wrong move, one mistake, everything everyone fought so hard for would be ruined._ Unity looked down at his hands and signed very slowly. _ If I slip up even once, or do something outside of my role, I could ruin everything. I have to be perfect, for the sake of the kingdom. For our future. _

Unity barely got the last word out before he felt Wild pull him into a hug. He tried to pull away at first but gave in, letting the warmth of his friend’s arms envelope him. When they did part, Unity saw a sad smile on Wild’s face.

“You don’t have to be perfect to help maintain peace. If that were the case, then Ganon would’ve come back a long time ago in my world,” Wild joked, but there was an edge to his voice that said he wasn’t entirely kidding. “You’ve done everything you can and so much more. Just keep being yourself and everything will work out alright. I’m sure it is with Mipha. How is your girlfriend, by the way?” Wild said with a mischievous glint to his eyes. Unity grinned, the tiniest amount, but a grin is a grin, and it made Wild smile in turn.

“Hey, that’s the first sign of emotion of seen from you so far! Hopefully, I can get you to cry next time.” Unity rolled his eyes and lightly punched Wild on the arm. But the smile never left his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe, LU OC:) I know Unity is already the name of someone(I think), but Hero of the Calamity doesn’t make sense because heroes are never named after their villain, and the final battle was called Hyrule United or something and I thought it was cute. And man I’ve been writing so much angst lately. Next one will be lighter.  
> Oh, happy holidays!


	13. True Successor?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Impa, Koshia, and Kogha have a discussion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For DrSkeletor: Impa and Kogha ask Monk Maz Koshina if the modern Shiekah or the Yiga are the legitimate sucessors of his tribe and as such the leader, themselve, is worthy of learning his lost knowledge...
> 
> (No more of the request because that would be spoilers :p)  
> Minor spoilers for BOTW DLC and AOC

Impa stared down Kohga with a glare that could kill armies of men. Kohga simply sat crossed legged, staring into the distance as he wiggled his toes. Maz Koshia watched in boredom and slight irritation.

“No,” Impa said finally.

“No?” Kohga repeated, most likely raising an eyebrow under his mask. Impa shook her head fervently.

“There’s no way you could be the true successor to the Sheikah Clan.”

“And why not, miss ma’am?”

Impa scowled and crossed her arms angrily. “Because you literally worship Ganon and the Sheikah are sworn to protect the royal family no matter what.”

“Oh come on!” Kohga exclaimed, slapping his knees in shock. “That stupid royal family of yours exiled our people when we tried to help them because they thought we were too strong.” He paused and tapped his chin(?)/mask. “Maybe they were right though, I would’ve taken over the kingdom of I could.” 

Impa glared and unsheathed her kodachi, taking an offensive stance. “I will not stand for such insolence!”

“Please lady, I wasn’t threatening little miss Zeldy, just her ancestors.”

“Tell that to my blades, fatty.”

“Did you just insult my belly!?”

“Yea it’s pretty dumb.”

Kohga jumped to his feet. “You did not just say that-“

** STOP ** , Maz Koshia commanded.  ** Stop, both of you. There is no need for this pathetic argument. **

“It is not pathetic, Master, if the fate of the secret knowledge that belongs to my clan,” she shot Kohga an angry look, “rest on this argument.”

Kohga huffed and waved his hand before stomping over to Koshia. “Listen old man,” (“OLD MAN!?” Impa screamed from behind) “the Yiga may not like the princess and her family, but can ya really blame us? I mean, they did try to have us all killed or whatever.”

Koshia sighed and shook his head, making the paper thing in front of his face sway. **I will have no say in that matter, for it involves my era heavily. But I understand the gravity of this situation and will hear both arguments with no bias.**

Impa put away her blades and walked over almost silently to the Master, falling to her knees in a respectful bow. “Master, the knowledge you possess is vital to the survival of not only our clan, but the entire kingdom of Hyrule. We Sheikah are still sworn to protect the royal family and the blood of the goddess, a promise we will uphold to matter what.” She pushed herself back up and held his gaze. “I swear that the information will go to good use and be in the hands of our clans most capable leaders.”

**You make a compelling argument, young one,** Koshia stated, gesturing for her to stand. **I will now hear what the other had to say**.

Kohga sat down casually, letting one leg stick out from under him. Impa rolled her eyes. “Alright here’s the deal buddy, the Yiga are awesome and we used to worship Ganon, but not anymore.” He clenched his fist and his voice dropped with venom at the mention of their old master. “The point is that we’re not technically evil anymore, and we even hoped the princess beat the big baddy, so all good! Right!?”

Koshia exhaled quietly. **Very well, I believe I have come to a decision.**

“And that is?” Impa asked eagerly.

“Spit it out, skelly!” Kohga said with a smile in his voice.

**My decision is...** he paused for dramatic effect. **No decision. I don’t have enough from either of you to make a decision, so I will not decide.**

Kohga hopped to his feet and moved back. “I think this will help you decide!” Kohga sucked in a deep breath, counted to three, before letting loose the dreaded Big Glowy Blast ™, sending a cold sweat down Impa’s back at the memory of him basically defeating Calamity Ganon with it. Once he was done, Kohga slumped over, resting his hands on his knees.

“So... what do... ya think...” Kohga said in between pants. 

** Oh, not bad Yiga Master.  **

“How about this!” Impa announced as she made a dozen hand signs, creating an army of shadow clones behind her.

** A well executed spell, young one. **

“Oh for the hate of Ganon, just choose old man!” Kohga shouted as he spawned a banana and took a bite out of it, relishing in its deliciousness. Koshia audibly gasped, catching both of their attention.

**I see you recognize the beauty of the Sacred Yellow Fruit.** He turned to Impa. **Do the present day Sheikah also acknowledge the Fruit?**

Impa’s mouth fell open in bewilderment and furrowed her brows. “Uh, n-no?”

** Do you even have a banana tree in the village? **

“We have an apple tree on the hill...”

Koshia stood abruptly. **Then I have made my choice.** He pointed at Kogha, who looked around before holding a finger at himself in question. **You and your clan are the true successors to my generation of Sheikah from 10,000 years ago.**

“What! But...” Impa trailed off as she watched Kohga and Koshia walk off together in astonishment. She turned back to her lap, tightening the grip on her pants in frustration. She’d failed her clan, the royal family, and herself. Impa’s vision blurred as her eyes watered when she felt a hand on her back. She looked to her side, where Kohga was sitting.

“You know missy, I never was one for tradition.” He shrugged and added, “don’t see why we have to respect it now when it’ll benefit both of us.”

Impa’s eyes widened and she quickly wiped away any tears that spilled. “B-but you’re the true successor, the knowledge is yours.”

Kohga clicked his tongue and waved his hand. “Successor, succes-mesher, who cares! We’ve gotta stick together if want to survive, and like I said, we Yiga don’t care about tradition. And the skeleton guy doesn’t need to know if we don’t tell him, right?” He offered her a pre-peeled banana which she took hesitantly and eyed carefully. She sighed and smiled and Kogha. 

“Right.” He nodded and stood to join Koshia. Impa tossed the banana immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh, Maz Koshia and bananas. Also, why do I suddenly love Kogha after playing AOC??  
> I’m going to be taking an actual (longer than one week) break in the new year to finish up some stories I’ve been writing, so I’ll put out the next few chapters over the next twoish weeks and then I’ll be out, so any request won’t be coming for a while. Sorry!


	14. New Year, New Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> EVERYONE gathers to send off the year and welcome a new one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank GOD 2020 is finally over

“Well guys, that’s another year over and done with, how does everyone feel about it?” Warriors asked the group, standing triumphantly in front everyone on the stage that was leftover from Wind’s Nayru’s Day party.

“That year was shit. The next couldn’t come any sooner.” Legend turned the party popper over in his hands.

“I didn’t think it was that bad,” Hyrule said, earning him shouts of shock and disbelief. He held his hands up surrender. “I mean yea it was bad, but it could’ve been worse. We could all be dead.”

“That’s literally rock bottom. And plenty of us have died in other universes, it’s just the supreme god of this one decided to keep us alive,” Four pointed out. Everyone immediately felt the existential dread of having someone control their lives and change anything they want on a whim weigh heavily on the shoulders.

Wild cleared his throat and perked up. “Well, we got Unity this year!” Unity suddenly appeared from nowhere and Wild dragged him to his side. “I think he’s pretty great.”

“He’s not even canon, and of course you like him, he’s basically you,” Legend groaned.

_Warriors isn’t canon either, but he counts_ ,  Unity signed. 

“Ok but your an OC.”

_ Aren’t we all? _

Wind laughed. “He’s not wrong!”

“Why is no one siding with me!”

Sky raised his hand. “I don’t think he’s completely wrong.”

“Thank you bird boy.” Sky scowled and immediately retracted his support.

“Fine you want OCs?” Wild said as he stood. “I’ll give you OCs.” 

With a snap of his fingers, four new people appeared. One was wearing what looked like an engineers outfit, another was a young boy wearing a green tunic and bright red hat, the other looked exactly like Legend but was missing pink hair and had on leggings, and the last just looked like a slightly more frazzled version of Four.

“Ok so we got the Hero of Spirits, Hero of Men, Hero of Hyrule, and the Hero of Light,” Wild introduced. “What are the nicknames going to be?”

“Wait how the hell did you get them here?” Legend asked. Wild only shrugged.

“Spirits works for me,” the engineer said, brushing himself off and walking over to Wind, who was estatic.

“Men doesn’t really make sense,” the boy said thoughtfully. “How about Minish?”

“Sounds great kid,” Four grinned, ruffling his hair. “And I’m guessing Light for you?”

He nodded but stayed silent.

“Hyrule isn’t going to work for you kid,” Legend pointed out. “How bout Lorule?”

“I suppose that could work,” the new guy said.

“How come Four gets three different versions of himself?” Wind grumbled.

“At least you’ve got different versions,” Twilight mumbled. “My only other adventure is the crossbow training.”

Sky patted his friends back. “Don’t worry Twi, you’ll get a remake soon anyway.”

“ANOTHER ONE!?” Hyrule shouted. “Why does he get so many but I don’t?”

“Same buddy,” Wild said shaking his head. “One day-“

“You don’t count your getting a freaking sequel to complete a trilogy,” Sky interrupted.

“But more adventures means more angst, and everyone loves angst,” Wild sniffled. 

“No everyone loves Wild angst,” Legend scoffed. “But you’ll never get any in this god’s universe, at least not in the main story.”

“No!” Wild shouted and ran away. Twilight looked to Time.

“Should I go after him or just wait until the god forgets to write about him?”

“Just wait, they’ll remember by the end,” Time said.

“So Rule,” Warriors slid next to the traveler, “how’s it feel to almost be 35?”

Wind spit out his drink. “Your 35?”

“I will be,” Hyrule said under his breath, glaring at Warriors. “My birthday is in February.”

“My baby is getting so old,” Legend mock cried, pulling the boy into a hug. “You know what this part needs? More OCs.”

Legend snapped and summoned 3 more Links. One looked similar to Sky but has a red scarf, another just looked average compared to the others, and the last was a miniature version of Time.

“H-hello,” the average looking Link greeted uneasily. 

“Ok who are these guys?” Minish squeaked, poking the mini Time who slapped his hand away. 

“Wait,” Warriors paused, marching to the young Link. “Mask!?”

“Oh hey cap,” the boy says nonchalantly, pushing himself up. “Who the fuck are these guys?”

“Well who the fuck are you?” Wind asked. Time sighed and pinched his nose.

“He’s me, when I was a lot younger.”

“Whoa! This little shrimp is you big man?” Spirits joked. 

“Ok what about the guy who’s cramping my style and the average guy?” Warriors pulled at his scarf irritably.

“Ok well where are you guys on the timeline? Just list off any major events that happened and we’ll name you based on that,” Sky said, forgetting that the Master Sword could name them.

“Well, the Hero of Time vanished like 300 years ago and I set out on a journey to become the hero but-“ the average guy began but was stopped by me, the author because that would be spoilers for something I haven’t published yet.

“So do you know about the great flood?” Wind asked.

“No what’s that?”

“Then we’ll call you Flood,” Legend finished. He turned to the guy with the red scarf and pulled out a notepad. “And you?”

“I’m the Goddess’s Chosen Hero, fought against the demon, and stayed on the surface as the Hylians were raised into the sky.”

“Oh my goddess,” Sky breathed. “Your the First Hero!”

“Then First.” Legend dotted the page noticeably. “We’re missing one more person. Or I guess two.” He snapped again and summoned Flora and what looked like a 5 year old Wild.

“Ok this is getting out of hand,” Twilight interjected. “Flood isn’t even in a published work and this baby Wild and Flora were only in a one shot.”

“So was Unity,” Four pointed out.

“Spirits and I weren’t even concepts until Wild summoned us,” Lorule stated.

“Ok! Ok, fine I get it, summon as many Links and apparently Zeldas as you want,” Twilight conceded, sitting next to Hyrule who was munching on grapes. “But can we stop breaking the fourth wall? This is getting to meta.”

_Uh guys_ , Unity signed but no one noticed. He sighed and sat by Spirits and Lorule to watch the countdown from 10 as the ball began to drop.

“Ok but who’s excited for my next adventure?” Wild asked, returning from his angst trip.

“Wild you don’t need to gloat.” Four said rolling his eyes. “We get it, you’ve got one of the greatest adventures of all time and one of the best in the timeline.”

“What?” Time perked up, but was ignored.

Twilight continued for Four. “Yea Cub, your great and everyone is excited for the next adventure, but some of deserve some love to. Especially me.” Wild grinned and lightly punched his mentor on the arm. 

“Happy New Year!” Spirits and Lorule shouted while Light watched on with a smile. The original Chain and the others watched ingrowing horror as they realized they missed the ball drop.

“What the fuck!” Wind practically screamed. “We missed it!” 

Time shrugged and held up his glass. “Well, here’s to a year better than the last.”

The others followed his lead. “Happy New Year!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter of the year and wow this has been crazy. I’ve only had this account for about 3ish months now but it’s been a lot of fun writing fics, reading you guy’s comments and reading some other wonderful works. BOTW has really changed my life, got me back into writing and drawing and improve in both. Thanks to everyone whose left a comment, kudo, or even just read something I’ve written. It’s been a blast and I can’t wait to keep writing and reading more in the new and (hopefully) better new year. I’ve got like 3 new series in the works and a hundred different art pieces for my tumblr. So with that being said...  
> Happy New Year!!! See you all in 2021❤️


	15. The Battle of Gerudo Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For The Bald Action: I have a suggestion: Link doesn't take "Voe aren't allowed in Gerudo Town" for an answer and walks straight in, beating up every guard and soldier who dares stand in his way. He even buys Shock Arrows WHILE fighting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is basically one long action/fight scene, but with very very little blood. Basically stuff they’d show on daytime television, so nothing intense. But even so, here are some warnings.
> 
> Warnings for: Canon typical violence, minor mentions of blood, injury

Link plopped down disappointedly at the bar next to Shaillu, who grinned at the sound of the boy without turning her head up to look at him.

“And? Did you manage to get into the town?”

He ordered his drink before putting his head down on his arm. “Of course not. I was never told I wouldn’t be allowed into the city.”

Shaillu raised an eyebrow. “I did say no voe allowed.”

“But I’m not just any voe, I’m the champion.” He huffed and took a sip of his drink before putting it down with a sour expression. “I think I’ll stick to milk and water.”

Shaillu rolled her eyes and looked down at her book on the legends of Hyrule. One happened to be about a boy who managed to best the top Gerudo warriors and earned the respect of the chief, allowing him to enter whenever he wished. Though, it was just a tall tale, and there were many conflicting reports on the matter. But it wouldn’t hurt to tell Link anyway.

“You know, I read a story of a voe who fought and defeated the best guards of our tribe. He was given special permission to enter the city as he pleased.” She patted the pages of her book. Link’s eyes glittered with the idea of something dangerous and stupid. “Though I wouldn’t recommend it, you’d be dead before you manage to take one step further in the town.”

He grinned mischievously and downed the entirety of the drink in one go, nearly choking on it. “That’s never stopped me before.”

━━━O━━━

He gripped the handle of the paraglider. It was now or never and he didn’t have any plans on changing his course of action. So, while he still had the courage, Link summoned Revali’s Gale, taking him high into the air above the walls of the town and landing gently in the middle of the square. It was relatively busy, so no one noticed his entrance. He smirked, putting away the device. Now he just had to talk to the chief and then-

“HALT! Intruder in the city! Everyone evacuate from the square!”

“Well shit,” he mumbled under his breath as multiple guards ran at him, spears and swords in hand. He held his hands up in surrender. “I’m not here to cause any trouble, I simply want to speak to the-“

“Silence, voe! All know your kind aren’t allowed in this town!” A Gerudo shouted, brandishing her blade with a scowl on her face. “You will leave peacefully if you intend to keep your life.”

“Listen, I’m Link, the Hylian champ-“

“Apprehend him!” The guard shouted. Link’s eyebrow twitched in irritation at being interrupted again. His fingers instinctively yearned to wrap around the hilt of the Master Sword strapped to his back, but he didn’t come here to kill anyone, just talk.

“I don’t want to fight-“

For a third and final time, he was cut off, this time by a spear being jabbed at his side. He swiftly dodged with a back step, only to have to duck to avoid a slash at his head from a guard behind him. The Gerudo with the spear swept at his feet in an attempt to knock him off balance, but Link only just managed to jump over the weapon, bringing his foot down hard on the tip and snapping it off.

_ No point in avoiding it now. _

He grabbed the end of the broken spear and allowed himself to be pulled forward by the now angry guard, who unknowingly saved him from the attacks of two new Gerudo who swung at the spot he’d just occupied. Link had no time to relax since the guard with the spear dragged him close enough and threw a punch at his face. He managed to catch it with his free hand and kicked her back while yanking away the broken spear, which was more of a staff. The disarmed guard fell back against the wall, leaving Link fighting against three other Gerudo and their numbers were quickly increasing as more joined the battle.

Arrows fired at him from a distance, with one hitting its target and lodging itself firmly in Link’s left shoulder. He grit his teeth at the shock of pain but was able to perform a backflip as the guards swung their swords at him. Time slowed around him as he focused, summoning his bow from the Sheikah Slate and firing a shock arrow into the ground. As time resumed, the arrowhead broke on the ground, letting loose a dome of electricity that shocked the women and brought them to their knees. 

Link landed heavily and was immediately forced to avoid more arrows that rained down from somewhere. He danced in between each one, allowing his body to move on its own while his eyes scanned the town for the archer’s location. He spotted a shop nearby and the glint of an arrowhead in the sunlight from the tower straight across from the entrance alerted him. Link notched the last arrow he had left, avoiding one more shot as he calculated the trajectory in his head. He spun and narrowly missed a shot before spinning onto his knee, pulling back the string, and letting it loose. The electricity spurred out and the archer's attacks came to an end, giving Link hardly even a second to catch his breath before the rest of the guards came storming out of the main building. He let out a low growl and forced himself back up to his feet, not bothering to grab a shield from the Slate. With the speed of these soldiers, there’d be no use in it. 

The two tallest of the group of 9 who exited the building reached him first, with one throwing her spear like a javelin while the other flanked him. Link was forced to meet her, moving forward to avoid the flying spear that only landed a few inches behind him and clashing the tall Gerudo’s sword with his staff. The wood caught the blade, and he thanked Hylia for its thickness saving his life. The guard kicked harshly at his side, but Link used the momentum of the hit to turn and deliver an elbow straight into her face. The one who’d thrown her spear reached them, this time with the rest of the backup, making it 8 on 1. They didn’t even bother circling him, instead attacking from every possible direction. Link spun the staff around in front of him, picking up speed but not going fast enough to ward them off because of his injured shoulder. While the few in front of him were warded off slightly, the three behind him didn’t let up on their attack.

One stabbed directly at his stomach while another slashed at his face. The other attacked his side, leaving Link with no other option than to take a hit from one of the guards. He felt the blade slice across his already scarred cheek as he sidestepped toward the flanking Gerudo, avoiding the stab and knocking her off balance. He brought his staff across the side of her head, hard enough to knock her out, and then threw it at the one who’d landed the hit on him. Now that he was weaponless, the stabbing one took the opportunity to force him back with a series of swings and swipes while the others he’d abandoned closed off his exit points, forcing him down the path with shops on both sides. He looked around frantically for an escape or something to aide him, but the area was empty and he couldn’t scale the walls in time. There was only an old, angry-looking woman sitting under the covering of her shop, scowling at the action unfolding before her. Link duck, dodged, and leaped over the attacks of the guard until he was in front of her shop.

“Hel-“ he ducked and lost a lock of hair, “lo! I see you sell-“ a sidestep almost went him crashing into the shop, “arrows! I’d like your shock ones!”

She eyed him suspiciously as he nearly lost an ear to a downward slash. “How many?”

“All!” He shouted before having to spin low on the ground and sweep at the guard’s feet. 

She crossed her arms. “Sure, long as you’ve got the money.”

Link twirled into the Gerudo warrior and kicked her back hard. He turned back to the shopkeeper, tapping quickly at his Slate and bringing up a bagful of rupees.

“Will this be-“ a slash tore the bag opened and probably saved his life. Rupees spilled out onto the floor. “Enough?”

The woman waved her hand and leaned back tiredly. Link dropped to his knees, simultaneously missing a sword that had nearly cut off his head and picking up the bundle of shock arrows. He let two guards get close enough and waited until they both swung their spears at him, forcing the last bit of energy he had left into his aching legs and backflipping high over the end of the two weapons. He focused and time slowed again. Link grabbed the Great Eagle bow and notched the arrows in record time, not even taking a split second to aim before he let them loose in a line on the ground next to where the guards were standing. When time resumed, he fell on his knee a safe distance away from the dome of electricity that engulfed the Gerudo, shocking them and knocking them out cold. 

He stayed on the ground, panting heavily and trying to recover his breath. After a few minutes, he uneasily got to his feet, grabbing a spear and using it as support as he walked slowly through the empty town filled only with groaning and unconscious Gerudo warriors. Link just needed to get to the chief and talk with her, but his legs couldn’t carry him any longer and he was losing too much blood from the cut on his face and arrow stuck in his shoulder. He collapsed, unable to move any further with his vision growing dark and lungs burning from exertion. 

_ I’m so close, just a few more steps, and then... _

“What in the name of Hylia happened here?” A high pitched and childish voice said from a few feet ahead of him. Link slowly looked up and could barely see the small form of a Gerudo girl standing confidently in the stairs leading up to the main building, accompanied by a tall, imposing-looking guard. The girl made her way down the steps and knelt in front of Link, observing him carefully. Her eyes landed on the Master Sword and widened.

“You are...” she trailed off, her head whipping around to the guard whose hand was wrapped tightly around the hilt of her sword as she looked at the scene around them.The girl looked back at Link. “You are the Hylian champion from 100 years ago, aren’t you?”

Link offered her a weak smile and bowed his head. “That is... me... ma’am.”

“Chief Riju, this voe has taken out half our forces after invading our town, he does not deserve to keep his life,” the guard growled.

“Oh please, Buliara, he’s the Hero of Hyrule.” Link turned his head up and met the girl’s twinkling eyes. “And I think he’s more than proven himself to be a capable warrior. Especially after this display.”

Link almost laughed at his accomplishment before he lost consciousness and fell onto his side. At least he’d be able to get into the Gerudo Town now.

━━━O━━━

“And that,” Wild said it’s a twirl of his ladle, “is how I got permission to go into Gerudo Town.”

“No fucking way!” Wind exclaimed, nearly spilling his soup all over Legend, who murmured a curse under his breath. “That was even cooler than Time’s story!”

Time chuckled and shook his head. “Indeed it was. Mine involved far more sneaking around and more one on one battles. And those damned carpenters. I couldn’t imagine having to fight the entire town.”

Wild shrugged and stirred the contents of the pot with a smile while the others discussed his story with great enthusiasm. Warriors made his way over to where the champion was sitting and looked at him hard until the younger hero grew anxious at his staring.

“Yes, Wars?”

“If you got into the town like that, then why do you need the clothes?”

A faint blush settled on Wild’s cheeks. “Because I like them?”

Warriors and Wild sat in awkward silence for a beat before the captain chuckled and ruffled his hair. “I like them too, buddy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW that was a lot! Really pushed me on the one, since I never write action scenes. I used to for this other fic I wrote, but that was way more violent. It’s actually a lot harder to write action where everyone lives and the enemies are only injured.  
> IM BACK!! I did say more than a week, and it’s been a week and two days so I think it counts. I just have like a hundred oneshot ideas and 6 more already written chapters that I really want to get out so I can write more.  
> Also, maybe I’ll write a classic Wild&Twi bonding fic or something? Because I’m kinda dying to write one but can’t some up with an actual original scenario beyond they fight a Lynel or something


	16. The Sword in the Stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time and Sky take a less than welcome trip through time with the Master Sword

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for: implied/referenced character death, semi graphic depictions of injury(no major injuries), and blood  
> Yea, it’s one of those chapters

The sky darkened overhead. The trees scattered what little light managed to penetrate, casting tiny fragments of gold about the ground. Time caught some of the shapes in his hand, holding them for a moment, feeling it’s warmth. He let it go. There were others waiting for him.

Sky knelt at the base of the pedestal, tracing the edge of the indent with his fingers. The breeze tossed aside his hair, hiding his eyes from Time. The older hero moved closer, standing by his kneeling form. The Great Deku Tree snored loudly, but it sounded like the woods itself. Koroks peeked from behind trees, watching in cautious awe.

The Chosen Hero stood and unsheathed the sword. Light danced along its edge, skipping along its steel to unheard music. Time sucked in a breath at the sight. Sky watched it for a moment before glancing at Time with what looked like guilt, but he replaced it with a warm smile. He presented the hilt, keeping his grip light. With a sigh and a great deal of hesitance, Time grabbed it along with the younger hero.

They turned to the pedestal. The sword pulsed practically begged to be put in place. In this era, it needed its rest. Wild did not allow it, but he never mentioned why. The Great Deku Tree stirred, and the two could feel his eyes rest on them. It was time. With a slight nod Time caught out of the corner of his eye, he and Sky raised the blade and placed it in the pedestal. They were enveloped in light and left the forest.

* * *

It waited. For decades, centuries, eons, until its master finally arrived. Its purpose had come, and it would fulfill it to the best of its abilities. And it did. They battled monsters infesting the surface together, defeated the demon and its minions, and saved the maiden. All was done, and it was time for her to rest. And yet Fi sensed hesitance in his hand when he raised her above the pedestal. He did not want to leave her. He needed her. She determined that if she left now, there was a 76% chance he would face a being too strong for him to face without the sword. But it was time to depart. And yet. And yet, she did not want to-

-go, but she had to. The sword was at rest again, but it could still watch as the little blue companion fluttered off onto the sunlight, vanishing from the little boy's life. It watched as he fell to his knees, collapsing in a heap of sorrow and regret. A little boy it’d sealed away for years, only to tear him away from his slumber to throw him back against an enemy that would work to destroy his mind and resolve far before it ever defeated him. But this simple departure, this small goodbye, was enough to force the boy to crumble. It felt a tinge of something reverberate through its spirit. The spirit was not supposed to feel this, but for a moment, just a moment, it wondered why-

-the goddess had chosen another boy to wield it. This one was older than before, but he was still a child. The incarnation of the demon’s hatred, Ganondorf, flung the sword aside. It fell just beside the princess’s head. It’d nearly killed her. She was also a child. Eventually, the boy picked it up again, and after a hard-fought battle, drove it through the man’s head. Almost to its hilt. If it could, it would’ve gasped at the sheer brutality of the act committed by the boy. Had it really been taken from its rest only to be used by another child in order to defeat the same evil it’d worked to fight a millennia ago? But it would serve its master as long as they needed it. It would forever act as-

-evil’s bane, but the Hero was shrouded in dark, evil magic. He’d been warped beyond its understanding. It did not recognize him, so it pushed him back. But the Hero fought forward, stalking onward with his four paws dug stubbornly into the ground. When he touched it, it destroyed whatever evil was masking him. It did not care if it destroyed him as well. If that happened, then so be it. It would not allow any evil in any form to wield its power. But he remained, and the curtain of darkness was drawn back and replaced with light. It’s master stood strong before it, his hand on its hilt, easily pulling it from the pedestal and holding it up skyward. It basked in the light, but when he bright it back down, it could see the look in his eyes. The familiar, bottomless sorrow and pain that its previous masters had made all too familiar. It hoped it would never-

-have to witness the fall of a kingdom again, not after the seven years of Ganondorf’s rule. But Lorule had fallen. The Hero and Princess had saved it yet again from Ganon, though this time in a different form. But the cycle was unending. The sword hadn’t lost count of how many times this same hero had to wield its power to defeat the fiend, and every time they were reunited, his expressions grew more distant, harder, less innocent. And he was only 18. Just turned 18. In this world where the little boy with a fairy had lost, and the demon king ruled. Because it’d sealed him away. Because she’s sealed him away. The spirit of the sword that was too cowardly to even show her face again. Too scared of-

-his blood being used to resurrect Ganon. The same boy from seven years past had returned, far older and more grown, but still yet to mature into a man. Another child tasked by the goddess to face an insurmountable threat. The boy took extra care not to get injured: he constantly carried around bottles of red potion, called fairies to his side, always made sure he had enough magic to at least heal a wound closed. But when he didn’t, when he was missing those things, he resorted to desperate measures. He cauterized the wounds with the flat edge of a dagger, he stitched them closed, he stuffed bandages into them while muffling screams and wiping away tears. Anything to keep his blood in his own body. She watched with a heavy heart every time he did. Fi didn’t know how much longer she could just watch. If only she could just-

-end the cycle, but it seemed evil lived in the hearts of men, even without Ganondorf’s influence. The Hero stood beside the commander princess and her general. In front of them were several men, with their hands tied behind their backs and tears streaming down their faces. The Hero walked towards them. He clutched the sword tightly, almost painfully. Fi knew it hurt, she calculated an 82% chance he’d have bruises on his hands in the morning. He raised the blade above his hands. She knew what he was doing. She tried to stop him, an act like this was unbefitting of a hero, or even a decent person. She wouldn’t allow his spirit to be sullied, or her blade to be soaked in the blood of Hylians she’d sworn to protect. So she burned him, straight through the skin of his hands. But he still brought it down-

-into the pedestal. The princess took one last long glance at her blade before leaving it to rest in the forest for a century. A century to think. To remember how’d she’d failed yet another hero. How she’d become so weak that her blade cracked and chipped and nearly broke. How she’d failed to protect, guide, or aide her master, and because of that, he and Hyrule fell. So when he returned, a hundred years later, she was practically vibrating with excitement. It was her chance to repent for her failures, to finally help him on his quest. But he couldn’t lift her. She watched in horror as she felt his strength wane at the task of pulling her. He wasn’t ready, he wasn’t strong enough. He’d nearly died, and Fi watched the confusion and guilt tear through his soul. She wondered for a brief, betraying second if he even had the Hero’s Spir-

* * *

  
Time let go and stumbled back. He wouldn’t hear it. Not anymore. Sky’s eyes were cloudy until he slowly lifted his hand from the hilt of the sword. His face was unreadable. He turned to Time and watched him get to his feet. Time forced his heartbeat to steady and blinked back the heat that’d built behind his eye. It burned and threatened to let tears spill over. 

The blade pulsed blue a few times, like it was trying to speak, before dimming and becoming dull. Sky gazed at it, his eyes were unforgiving. But his face was wracked with guilt and pain. Time placed a hand on his shoulder. Sky looked at him, staring hard into his soul before sighing and letting it fall to despair. Time wrapped an arm around him, pulling the Chosen Hero tightly into his side. The broken stream of sunlight bounced off Sky’s tears as they fell from his face and wet the base of the pedestal. 

Once he’d calmed himself enough, Sky turned his attention up to Time’s face. He gave a small smile, his eyes still showcasing his true feelings, but there was a small glint of the expression that reached his gaze. The younger hero leaned away and sighed, wrapping his hand around the sword again. With a final furrow of his brows, he pulled and placed it back into the sheath on his back. 

The two turned and left without another look back. The Great Deku Tree yawned, the forest swayed, and the pedestal waited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this lowkey a sneak peek of a series I’ve been working on? Yes, it is.  
> Can you guys tell I love Sky? It started off as me writing stuff with him because I thought he was underrated, but now he’s one of my favs (behind Wild of course) and I’m not Maddie about it


	17. Awake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For DrSkeletor: Link sucessfully resurrected Mipha, trading 20 spirit orbs and with them a significant portion of his full power (and of course Mipha's Grace) to be reunited with the woman he loves, but using an aincent Zonai spell to bring her back to life didn't magically erase her trauma...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for: blood, implied/ referenced character death
> 
> It’s a heavy chapter

The horned statue’s beady eyes stared unnaturally into Link’s soul. The bag of rupees and Link’s request hung in the air between the two as the dark god considered what the boy was asking for.

“You do understand what you’d be sacrificing, correct?” He knew the statue did not care for his well-being, only for the deal to run smoothly. “Once this is done, it can never be reversed.”

“Yes. I do.” Link did not break his stare.

“Very well then, let us commence.”

The process began, with the statue’s eyes glowing an unearthly shade of red like the blood moon that reminded Link too much of the Calamity. He felt his life leaving him, the energy and power and strength he’d acquired over the course of his adventure, Mipha’s Grace, fleeing him, being sucked up by the dark deity trapped in the statue. He stumbled and fell to his knees, clutching at his chest in pain, feeling his heart throb and strain from the change in his soul. And in an instant it was over, leaving him gasping for breath.

“It was successful, she has been reawakened.”

Link pushed himself to his feet and forced the world to stop spinning. “Thank you.”

The statue did not respond, and Link turned and left.

━━━O━━━

It’d been three weeks since Mipha woke. She didn’t remember much of the After, most of the Present with some holes in her memory, and far too much of the Before. Those thoughts were buried in the back of her head but refused to stay hidden for very long. What she did remember was spending a painfully long century trapped in the Divine Beast until one day, a familiar Hylian boy covered in scars but with eyes as bright as the last day she saw him wander into the mechanical monster, slaying the Waterblight and finally freeing her soul to go to... wherever she was before being brought back. It was like being submerged under water, drifting peacefully as the ocean currents shifted around her before someone yanked her by the collar and threw her back onto land, leaving her shocked and gasping for breath.

Luckily, she didn’t spend long in the Divine Beast, since some Zora who were on patrol nearby were brave enough to venture into the creature and drag out their long-lost princess. They carried her helpless, shivering body all the way from Vah Ruta to Zora’s Domain. She’d been unconscious so she wasn’t able to immediately greet her father and brother, but from what she heard they were utterly shocked beyond speech at the sight of her warm, alive body. As soon as Mipha woke, they had their tearful reunion, one which she couldn’t seem to muster any actual tears for.

It’d been a miracle, a gift from the goddess herself, that the Zora princess returned so soon after Calamity Ganon‘s defeat. There’d been an enormous festival, parade, banquets and balls, everything the Zorana could muster to welcome back Mipha. She attended them all, forcing a polite smile onto her face, saying the right words at the right time, laughing right on cue. But despite the warm, over joyous welcome of her people, Mipha spent her nights alone, shivering in the corner of her pool despite being beneath gallons of warm water. The darkness had a face, and it was one that she was too familiar with and terrified her all the same.

And so Mipha ventured from her room around the Domain at night, feeling the free, open air nip her skin, the occasional droplets of rain or mist from a nearby waterfall cool her. Her feet moved swiftly as she practically swam through the air, enjoying the feeling. It seemed they always carried her to the shrine beneath the stairs. Mipha paused at the entrance, watching the glowing runes decorating the outside of the strange structure glow a steady blue. It was new, never there before the Calamity. But for some reason, she’d always wait in front of it for a few seconds before sighing, disappointed at... something.

Until the night that something she’d been waiting for happened. A stream of blue lights materialized from nowhere, taking the form of a person before disappearing to reveal a small Hylian form. They immediately collapsed and Mipha rushed to their side without a second thought. She lifted them into her lap, seeing the red blood pool on the surface beneath them, and reminding her too much of how the blight’s spear stabbed straight through her-

“Mipha?” They whispered in a nostalgic voice. She peered into the hood and saw him. 

“Link,” she breathed. They stared at each other in silence, neither’s gaze wavering, until she slowly moved her hand to hover over his wound and began channeling her grace into it. It was almost instinctive, Mipha didn’t even think to check if she still had her power after being resurrected.

“You’re...” he began weakly. His eyes swam through a whirlpool of emotions. “You’re here.”

For the first time in what felt like a century, she smiled genuinely. “I am.”

━━━O━━━

Morning came and brought with it a fresh and invigorated Link. After a night of resting in the best Zora waterbeds, intense medical care from the doctors and Mipha, and a good talking to from Sidon(where he explained to Link that throwing himself into danger without his sister’s healing power was not a good idea anymore) and a provided meal, he was buzzing with energy. Mipha, on the other hand, was less than enthused to start the day after such a long night. Not that any of the others prior had been easy, though, not with dreams of Before. He led her across the bridge that connected the domain to the mainland and the two began a walk along the slippery path leading away from the Zora kingdom.

“So,” Link said awkwardly, “uh, how are you feeling?”

Exhausted, aching, far too hot, angry at the gods, angry at myself.

“Fine. And yourself?” He was fidgeting with his hands far too much for it to just be nerves.

“I’m alright.” He smiled gently. “Better with you.”

Mipha looked at him. Truly looked at him. His face was brighter than it was a century ago, more expressive, youthful. He looked like how he should, a boy with a future ahead of him beyond just the duty he was destined to fulfill lest he fail and others suffer the consequences.

_ Lest he fail. _

His scars were a soft pink in the sunlight, contrasting harshly with his tanned skin and deep golden hair. They looked like blasts marks from the guardians. Like the scorch marks left behind from its laser,  _which nearly killed her this time, but she was fast enough to avoid the beam. She pushed herself back up with her spear, glaring at the blight as it unleashed an unearthly screech. The wound on her side bled profusely, refusing to stop no matter how much pressure she applied. The world seemed to have lost its orientation and was now spinning out of control. She supposed she’d just have to ask Link to help put it back on its axis once this was all over. She grinned at the thought of the Knight’s smiling face against Revali’s scowl and Urbosa’s smug smile and Daruk’s beaming expression and then the spear came hurtling at her far to fast and her legs were far too slow-_

“Mipha!” Link was closer, far too close now, and she didn’t feel like she was standing. The bright blue sky dotted with the occasional cloud was replaced with the silver, blue washed ceiling of her room. Another tentative shake from Link snapped her out of her thoughts, but she didn’t look at him. She couldn’t.

“Mipha,” he repeated, his tone dropping to be more soothing. “Please, say something.”

She ran her tongue across the top of her mouth and tried to Will the words that came out of her mouth to come out even. “I- I,” so much for that, “I’m fine.”

“No, you're not.”

She kept her gaze trained on a nearby pillar. “What happened?”

“We were walking and I was saying something to you, asking you about how things have been and what you remembered-“ _the blood was far too much and the pain was agonizing, but not as much as the thought of never seeing her father or Sidon or Link again. She never promised him she’d come back-_ “and then I carried you back here.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

“It’s really...” he trailed off and she wasn’t sure why. “No problem.”

He sighed and moved to stand, but Mipha suddenly felt the cold grip of fear wrap itself around her heart and strangle it until she thought she was going to die. Desperately, suddenly, and with all of her strength which really wasn’t much, she reached out and grabbed his wrist. She finally turned her gaze to him and found a face full of confusion and sorrow that she never wanted to see on him and it only made everything hurt more.

“Please,” she whispered, “don’t leave.”

Link put a hand on top of hers and sat back down, his waist deeply submerged beneath the water of her pool, his tunic dark as it became soaked. “I wouldn’t dare to.”

Mipha bit her lip and nodded, grateful. She wasn’t sure if she could muster the courage to speak, and luckily, Link wasn’t one to push. So they sat in silence for a while, listening to the fall of the water and the easy rippling around them before Link spoke in a tone that matched the rhythm of the environment and calmed her.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

_ Not at all. _

“Yes.” She needed to, but he’d eyes watered at the thought and it took a lot more blinks to hold back the dam. “I don’t want to sleep.”

“Why?”

The sky seemed to darken on command and her heart raced as her room did the same. Something was lurking in the corner and she was apparently the only person who could see it. It’s boring red eye trained solely on her, great spear caked in blood pointing in her direction.

“I’m afraid that if I do, I’ll never see anyone ever again.”

She didn’t even realize she’d been grabbing his hand until she clenched it tighter, tight enough to cause pain. Link didn’t flinch.

“It's always there. And I know it isn’t, not anymore, but I still see it when I should be asleep, when I’m alone, when I’m in a room full of people. It waits for me, it wants me, and I don’t know what to do anymore.” She buried her face in her hands as the tears overflowed. “I can’t live like this. I can’t call myself their princess anymore when I’m like this. I don’t know what to do.”

Her voice devolved into sobs and she planted her face into Link’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her, warm and firm but not confining. Familiar, kind, welcome. Mipha felt his fingers brushing against her cheek as he hummed a song she’d swore she’d heard him sing once before, when he was just a child. 

“You’re alive Mipha.” Like a god, his voice rang from above. “You’re here, not stuck in that Divine Beast or buried away somewhere, you’re here. With me. You’re home.”

She leaned further into him, letting her eyes wander around the room, watching the corner, where the darkness had receded and was replaced with emptiness. Her eyelids weighed heavily as she stared, letting her breathing align with his, feeling the rise and fall of his chest. It was getting harder to keep them open with each passing second, but she wasn’t afraid of it. For the first time in one hundred years, she slept.

“I’m here. Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am just pumping out chapters and request rn, so expect like a chapter a day for a while.   
> This one was really dialogue light because I’m trying to focus more on body language and descriptions. Just trying something different :)


	18. Silent Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For PowerRangers1998: If you are up to taking this request? How about one where after they leave Warrior’s hyrule, they end up in Wild’s. Warrior’s fairy Proxi decided to follow them because she decided Warrior needed her for some reason. She reveals herself when Warrior’s throat gets hurt and he can’t talk for a bit, so Proxi goes back to speaking on his behalf but they get a little to use to it...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for: canon typical violence, character injury, vomiting
> 
> It’s pretty minor though, so no worries. This chapter is mostly fluff, humor and hurt/comfort, which I haven’t written in a while so here ya go

“No! There’s no way I’m letting you leave again, not without me!” Proxi belted, her squeaky voice probably carrying around the entire castle. Warriors put a finger to his lips and shushed her loudly.

“It’s the middle of the night, P, can you keep it down?”

“Not when your leaving again on one of your stupid adventures!”

Warriors stopped tapping his foot and just looked at the fairy for a moment, his previously hard gaze dissolving into something different. Proxi didn’t know what it was, fairies always had a hard time understanding the more complex human emotions, but it made her fluttering slow a little and her voice drop to be slightly more delicate, even if it seemed impossible for the little orb of light.

“I- I-,” Warriors’s mouth clamped shut and he furrowed his eyebrows for a moment before bringing up his hands to sign.  _ I sorry always have to go. I stay if chance. _

Proxi flew a little lower and sighed. “You don’t have to sign if you don’t want to.” She flew onto his shoulder and settled there. “And it’s not your fault, it’s just what heroes do.”

Warriors said nothing but let a small smile onto his face. The two made their way down the hallway and out the door of the castle to the main courtyard, where the others were waiting for him. Proxi hid under his hat and watched from under its cover.

“Took you long enough,” Legend grumbled. Proxi wondered if Warriors would speak on his own, and after he seemed to struggle for a few moments, he finally did.

“I- Whatever, at least I’m here,” he said after a beat. She could hear the satisfaction in his voice at being able to speak without his usual stumbles and repetitions, and it made her glow a little brighter.

“Looks like it's time to go,” Twilight announced just as a portal appeared. “Let’s head through.”

The others paired up and made their way to the other side while Wind waited next to Warriors.

“Ready, cap?”

“Just a minute.” Warriors took off his hat and ruffled his hair with his hand, nearly smacking Proxi in the process.

“Hey! I’m right here ya know?” 

Warriors held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry P, didn’t know. But you’ve got to stay behind.”

Proxi eyed him before giving in. “Fine, but you better leave that hat behind. I need a place to sleep.”

He grinned and set down the green cap on the side. “Of course, let's go sailor.” Warriors grabbed the boy’s hand and she watched them both walk through.

Proxi lingered there, watching as the edges of the dark, ominous portal began to fade, and thought of how her captain and his party had returned to their Hyrule. She was used to seeing him beat up, but never to the extent she’d seen then. He looked absolutely spent and like he hadn’t slept in weeks, which he probably hadn’t. And Proxi knew if she let him leave without her by his side again, he’d end up in just the same position, but this time without their court doctors to heal him. 

And with that in mind, Proxi flew through the portal without a second thought.

━━━O━━━

On second thought, maybe she should’ve come up with a plan. After all, she’d nearly been hit out of the air by a stray bat that was aimed for one of the heroes. What was his name again, Cloud? Air? Whoever it was managed to dodge the strike and sliced the enemy's belly opened, leaving the monster dead on the ground. Sleepy one looked up at Proxi with bewilderment before a shout across the area grabbed both their attentions. They rushed over to where an aged bridge met the land and saw Legend standing over Warriors’s limp body, his eyes wild with rage as he struck down a massive Moblin with one furious stab through its skull. Proxi immediately rushed to her captain’s side and saw blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth as he struggled for breath.

“Wars!” Someone new shouted as they rushed over from wherever they were fighting. It was immediately revealed to be Wind who called, accompanied by a slightly injured Hyrule and Four. “What happened!?”

Hyrule wasted no time with explanations, kneeling by Warriors’s side and holding his hands over his neck. He mumbled something that sounded familiar to Proxi and his hands flowed with a pink light as each finger twitched carefully. 

“That’s fairy magic!” Proxi exclaimed, causing the others to turn to her. She then realized she’d never introduced herself and felt her little blue body tinge slightly red. “Uh, I’m Proxi, Lin- Warriors’s fairy.” She flew down to the captain’s face, which was contorted in pain. “Will he be alright?”

Hyrule didn’t speak, instead shooting Legend a brief look of reassurance before looking back down. Legend exhaled and rushed back some loose strands of hair back under his hat with a shaky hand.

“Yes, he probably will,” the veteran responded finally. He sat by Hyrule’s side, whispering to the traveler under his breath while his eyes flicked between his hands and Warriors’s eyes. When the others returned, they were quickly informed they’d traveled to Wild’s Hyrule and were at the Bridge of Hylia. Proxi fluttered above Warriors’s face worriedly, trying to ignore Time’s burning state that made her nervous. Hyrule exhaled heavily and fell back onto his hands, dark circles of exhaustion bruising under his eyes.

“I’ve done all I can for now. He’ll live, but until I can recover enough magic to finish, they’ll be damaged.”

“What type?” Wind asked. 

“Damage to his vocal chords and windpipe. Whatever got to him nearly crushed his throat.” Hyrule grimaced as he spoke of the injuries. “He probably won’t be able to speak and will have trouble breathing at times. But I should be able to heal him in a week or so.”

“You’ve done more than enough for now Hyrule, thank you,” Time said, patting the boy on the back reassuringly and finally leaving Proxi alone, much to her relief. “We need to get moving, if you wouldn’t mind Wild?”

“Oh! Of course not, let me just check...” Wild mulled over his Sheikah Slate with Four and Sky joining him. Time turned his attention back to Proxi.

“Miss fairy.”

She perked up. “Y- yes!?”

“You must be Warriors’s companion.” His voice sounded tight.

“Um, yes. I was with him during the war.”

Time looked at her in silence for a long while before nodding. “Thank you for being by his side again.”

She felt herself turn a little red. “Of course!”

“Ok everyone here’s the plan!” Wild announced. “There’s a shrine we can camp at just across the bridge, so we can cross it and be there within two hours.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Twilight said. The others fell into line behind the champion who led them forward while Time carried Warriors on his back. Legend stayed close to his side and Proxi sat under his hat, keeping her body close to his head and listening to his breathing as an assurance that he was still alive. 

True to his word, the group reached the shrine after about an hour and a half and set up camp around it. The moon was high in the sky, but very few monsters attacked them after Twilight went scouting ahead. Warriors had just begun to stir as Wild was packing up the remnants of dinner, sitting up in his bedroll with a mute groan. Legend and Proxi were immediately by his side.

“Warriors, you're awake!” She bobbed in the air in front of his face. Warriors smiled and opened his mouth to talk.

“No way, you're not going to be talking our ears off for a while.” Legend crossed his arms in front of him. “That moblin really fucked up your throat, and Hyrule could only do enough to let you breath and other shit, so no talking.”

Warriors blew a raspberry and held his hands up in front of him.

_ Ok, I no talk. _

Legend blinked. “Do you not know how to sign?”

“The captain’s not too good at sign language. He didn’t really have to use it during the war,” Proxi chimed In.

“Then how the hell did he communicate with everyone?”

Her light glowed brighter with pride. “Through me! I can read his emotions and talk for him!”

During their conversation, Sky and Wild had made their way over, with the champion offering Warriors a bowl of soup.

“Slowly,” he warned. Warriors took it with an eye roll and quick thumbs up before attempting to scarf down the entire bowl. He promptly coughed uncontrollably and Hyrule had to rush to his side and heal the damage he’d caused with his recklessness. 

“If you do that again,” Hyrule’s voice was low and dangerous, “I will cut you.”

Warriors held up his hands on surrender as the traveler slowly backed away. Legend snickered and Warriors glared at him.

“Should’ve listened to him fuckface.”

Proxi’s wing twitched as she felt a sudden flush of playful anger. She turned to Warriors, whose eyes were trained on the veteran.

“He says to fuck off.” Proxi said, directing the statement at the veteran. His eyes widened in surprise before falling back into a smirk.

“So that’s what you meant by talking for him. Looks like me verbally beating your ass can continue without a shred of guilt.” Legend stood and walked away, cackling maniacally while an enormous cloud of amusement and annoyance rose over the captain’s head. Proxi jingledin front of him to get his attention. 

“I hope I don’t have to argue for you with him every day.” Warriors only grinned as he sipped his soup, leaving Proxi with a pit of dread in her stomach.

━━━O━━━

A few days passed and all was well. Wild’s Hyrule was just as chaotic and terrifying as it’s hero, with random monster attacks occurring every so often and enormous enemy camps needing to be taken down. Proxi was used to the fighting, and she was more than glad that it was only against monsters and not any other race. Warriors and the others were faring well, with the worst injury being Four’s sprained ankle after tripping over a rock while fighting an octorock, much to most of their amusement and Time’s frustration at their lack of concern. 

All in all, Proxi was enjoying her time with the group and was more than happy to keep traveling with them for as long as she was needed and long after that. Warriors also seemed overjoyed to have her around, keeping her in conversation during his late night watches with quick bursts of emotions flying over his head that were sometimes dizzying for her to read and keep track of. But she was always willing to chat until she was too sleepy and would settle down in Warriors’s neck, tucked warmly in between his scarf and tunic. And she would always wake in the morning in the same place, right by her captain’s side.

“We need supplies,” Time announced one afternoon as the group were gathered lazily around a pier in Lurelin Village. “I’ve already made a list, so I’m trusting Warriors and Legend to go get everything.”

Proxi felt a wave of frustration from Warriors and was about to speak when Legend beat her to the punch.

“There’s no way in hell you're sending me with the pretty boy to get everyone’s shit.”

“Well I am, and unless you two want to stay here and shovel bags of sand for the villagers, I recommend you take this task.” The two heroes glanced at each other before Warriors snatched the paper with a scowl. Time crossed his arms triumphantly. “Great, Wild will take you where you need to go, make sure you keep him in line. And I trust Proxi will do the same with you all.”

“Of course mister Time!” She proclaimed brightly. Warriors nodded and Legend tossed his head in understanding. Wild then materialized from literally nowhere by Time’s side.

“Ok, ready guys?”

Legend slapped his hand onto the champions shoulder. “As ready as I’ll ever be. And you Wars?”

Warriors held up a thumbs up while Proxi landed on his shoulder.

“Take it away Wild!”

With a tap of a button, they were gone, reappearing on the foot of the shrine in Hateno village. The two heroes took a moment to reorient themselves while Wild sprinted off, yelling something about needing to visit a friend on the hill, leaving Proxi with a nauseous Warriors and headache plagued Legend.

“Fucking hell, is this really how we’re going to start this goddess damned shopping trip?” Legend grumbled harshly under his breath. Warriors pressed his fingers to his temples and waved his hand nonchalantly, letting Proxi take over for him.

“He says to get over it so we can finish up quickly and head back.” She hovered above the captain’s head, sprinkling fairy dust imbued with healing magic to try and soothe his illness. “The sooner we get done, the better.”

“He seems to want to do a lot of talking for someone who can’t speak.”

Warriors glared at Legend as he got to his feet, swaying in place momentarily before regaining his balance. 

“Hey! You alright?” Proxi asked, earning her a smile and grateful nod from him. Legend huffed and started marching away, list in hand.

“I’m not waiting another fucking minute, let’s get moving!”

The trio walked into town, the two heroes’ symptoms remaining just as prevalent and Wild still nowhere to be found. They first entered the general store, which was relatively empty.

“How much for two bottles of milk?” Legend asked the shopkeeper.

“20 rupees.”

“Talk about a steal! We’ll take em. Wars, be a good captain and pack them away?”

Proxi held back a giggle as she saw the captain’s eyebrow twitch in irritation. He shot her an unamused look before peeking over his shoulder to watch Legend hand the shopkeeper a few rupees. Proxi saw his emotions shift from mild anger to mischievous behavior within a second and immediately hid behind the veteran’s shoulder to avoid being associated with whatever stupidity Warriors was about to cause. And just as she predicted, as soon as the veteran turned away from the counter, Warriors picked up the bottles of milk, held them out in front of him, and dropped them both. They all watched in a mess of satisfaction, horror, and rage as the glass shattered and the milk spilled everywhere. Legend slowly turned his head up from the sight on the floor to the gleaming eyes of Warriors, who was staring straight at him with a smug smile plastered on his face. Proxi didn’t need to be able to read emotions to know that Legend wanted to murder the captain on the spot.

“Well,” the shopkeeper said, crossing his arms, “one of you is gonna have to clean that up.”

Warriors quickly replaced the shit-eating grin with a look of surprise and innocence and raised his hands up in front of him.  _ So sorry! Did not mean it! _

“No worries son, I’m sure your brother here would be more than willing to help.”

Proxi swore she saw Legend’s eyes glow with fury at that moment.

Wild returned from his mysterious trip somewhere after an hour, sporting a strange new mark on his bicep and a disheveled appearance which wasn’t unusual for him, but his look of discontentment led the three who he left behind to believe his visit with his friend was not all that pleasant. He quickly took them to the Kara Kara Bazaar, an area just a few miles outside of Gerudo Town where merchants sold their items. Wild once again departed from the group, this time wearing a strange new set of armor and sailing off deep into the desert by way of a sand seal. 

At this point, Legend’s headache has only worsened, along with his mood, and Warriors was on the verge of vomiting. Proxi could feel the discomfort rolling off the two in waves, and decided to speak up.

“How many more things do we have left to buy?”

Legend closed his eyes for a few seconds before squinting at the list. “Um a few stacks of arrows, some gems and cooking ingredients.”

Warriors was able to muster enough strength to stand and shot a look at his fairy.

“Warriors spotted a merchant who sells arrows, he said to follow him.”

“Then lead the way.”

Proxi and Legend followed Warriors over to the edge of the bazaar to where an umbrella was propped up in the sand, shading someone who sat under it in front of a row of arrows.

“Hello dear travelers,” they said in a deep, rolling voice. “Might i interest you in a few bundles of arrows for the road?”

Legend stepped forward and grunted when he saw the selection. “Quite a few you’ve got here. How much for the whole stock?”

That got the salesperson to emerge from the shadows they were hidden under, revealing a deeply tanned young man with bright green eyes and dark hair. His face was radiant in the desert sun, and Proxi saw Warriors lock eyes with him and blush madly. The man simply smiled.

“That’ll set you back about 2,000 rupees.”

Legend balked at the price. “2,000 fucking rupees? What the hell are you on? Did Ravio take over Hyrule’s economy? No way am I going to pay 2,000 rupees for some shitty ass arrows that...” Legend continued to ramble on as he walked away, leaving Warriors, Proxi and the man alone. The salesman looked up at Warriors hopefully.

“I’m sure you have the funds sir, if not for the whole stock than a few bundles?”

Anxiety, bashfulness, pride and confidence crashed into Proxi and nearly turned her red from the amount of feelings from Warriors. He was obviously smitten and didn’t do anything to hide the fact. The only issue was that Proxi now had to speak for him, and she was completely clueless in regards to romantic emotions. So she spoke truthfully.

“He says he’s madly in love with you,” she squeaked, ignoring Warriors obvious horror at what she’d just said. “And he’ll probably buy a few bundles of arrows just to make you happy.”

The man’s eyes widened in shock and a faint brush of red settled on his cheeks. His gaze drifted from Proxi back to Warriors, who was positively petrified, and his smile only seemed to widen.

“Then I hope he would buy a drink at the end of the day, and perhaps we could discuss the prices in depth.”

Warriors’s mouth fell open close several times before he swallowed and nodded, briskly turning on his heel and walking away. The man watched him and looked back to Proxi.

“Is he always this, um, quiet and nervous?”

“Not really, but that’s what I’m here for I suppose.”

They waited at the bar for a few hours, Legend continuing his complaining about not finding anything he needed and wasting rupees while Warriors downed drink after drink, filling his stomach with nothing but alcohol.

“That’s not a good idea you know, you haven’t eaten that much today,” Proxi warned.

“Let him drink a whole barrel if he wants to, makes my life easier.” Legend leaned back dangerously in his chair. Proxi considered telling him not to lest he fall over but decided it’d be funnier if he did. A few seconds later, the man entered, wearing an outfit similar to the one Wild was wearing before he left, but less embellished and a shade of blue rather than green. He smiled at Warriors, nodded at Legend and Proxi, and took a seat next to the captain at the bar.

“I see you’ve already begun the party without me.”

“Man’s drinking the night away without his date,” Legend joked, with Warriors hissing silently at him. “Don’t let him barf on your outfit though. I’d hate to see it ruined.”

The man chuckled heartily. “As would I. I don’t believe I’ve introduced myself yet.” He held out his hand. “I’m Kaya, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

Proxi watched as Warriors clumsily shook Kaya’s hand, his face fully flushed from probably the copious amount of beverages and the man he was enamored with.

“I’m Proxi, and he’s Warriors. I talk for him when he can’t.” She paused before sighing as she heard Legend shifting loudly in the chair behind her. “And he’s Legend.”

“Pleasure,” the veteran greeted, raising his glass of water. 

Kaya turned back to Warriors, whose face looked a little pained. “And what brings you to the bazaar?”

“We’re buying supplies,” Proxi answered. “We’re travelers and needed some stuff before we set our again. Protection on the road.”

He nodded. “I see. And what would such a handsome man as yourself need from someone like me?” 

Legend nearly spit out his water and Proxi turned bright red at the obvious flirting. Warriors stared deeply into his eyes, leaning forward on the counter. Kaya did the same, his deep green eyes lingering on the captain’s eyes, cheeks, and lips. Warriors placed a hand on his own stomach furrowing his eyebrows slightly before closing his eyes, leaning forward and then-

He emptied the contents of his stomach on his date. The room was silent before a loud crash alerted Proxi to the fact that Legend had indeed fallen over in his chair and was now rolling on the floor in uncontrollable laughter, while Wild entered the bar unseen, saw the sight before him, and slowly backed out to avoid getting roped into another situation like this. And for the whole night and many weeks afterward, Legend would sometimes wake up howling with laughter at the memory of the royal fuck up while Proxi would have to soothe Warriors of an embarrassment that would never be forgotten.

━━━O━━━

The week ended, and so did Warriors’s recovery, resulting in a resounding success. His vocal chords, windpipe, and whatever else was damaged by the attack were completely healed. And yet he still did not speak. At first, they thought it was because he wasn’t used to it, having not used his voice in so long. Wild assured everyone he’d be fine, since he’d experienced something similar. Proxi wished to believe that was true, but something in the emotions she’d been reading didn’t let her.

After two weeks of not talking, the others grew worried. Four and Sky would regularly tell bad jokes just to get a verbal response out of him, Wild once purposefully fed him a rock roast to see what he’d say, Wind was ferocious in his prank war, and Twilight and tried to see what was wrong and interrogated Hyrule. But nothing anyone did or said got even so much as a squeak out of the captain, and Proxi was beyond worried, so she decided to drag him out to a pretty hill overlooking the whole of Kakariko village and sit with him until she got him to say something. But she ended up burying herself in his scarf to escape the chilling breeze, much to his amusement which she didn’t need to read his emotions to see. She’d almost fallen asleep in the warmth when a familiar voice woke her up.

“Hell of a view, didn’t know you were much for sight seeing though,” Legend said, his voice growing gradually louder as he approached. Proxi didn’t shift, wanting to hear where the conversation would go, even if it was one sided.

“Hope you don’t fuck out your pretty little hair do, I would hate to see your gorgeous locks ruined by the- Hey!” 

She felt him move a little and assumed he pushed Legend. After the veteran grumbled they sat in silence for a few minutes, with Proxi feeling the gradual creep of happiness in the captain that was infectious.

“Wars,” Legend spoke softly. Proxi had to really struggle to hear his voice over the barrier of the scarf. “I get it.”

She couldn’t help but lean a little closer to the top. Proxi tried to play it off like she was moving in her sleep.

“You don’t have to say anything, just... I don’t want you to feel like...” the happiness was replaced with the cold rush of concern and something like fear that was a little hard for Proxi to understand. The veteran huffed at his inability to phrase himself but continued on, losing some of the bitterness and wall of sarcasm that usually guarded his tone.

“It’s hard sometimes. I didn’t really... I've seen a lot, we all have. And sometimes, it’s hard to find the right words or the right things to say. Like now.” He chuckled, a little muted in actually amusement. His voice was a mirror of how he felt. “I don’t want to see them, especially not now when they’re gone, but I do. And I want to call out but every time I try I just can’t and I end up regretting everything even more than I already do.

“I- I don’t...” Nothing was said for a long time. The whistling wind ocasional,y tried to lull Proxi to sleep, but she couldn’t now. Her heart was racing at the fragility of the usually snarky Legend’s voice, and she could feel Warriors’s pulse do the same. His emotions were completely closed off now, like even the captain was scared of what he might feel if allowed himself to. A little shift in the fabric told Proxi he’d moved his arm, and the loud inhale and exhale from where Legend’s voice was heard pulled Proxi back into the conversation.

“There’s no point in it, is what I’m trying to say. We leave people behind, lose others,” his tone was slightly bitter, “but we meet new ones along the way. And I’m not getting fucking sappy or anything so wipe that shit eating grin off your face, but what I’m trying to say is...” a pause. “Don’t have regrets. I know I’m no one to talk on the matter, but putting everything on your shoulders doesn’t help anyone, and especially not yourself. I don’t want anyone to die with regrets, and yes not even you. I... it’s hard enough seeing Hyrule’s world, I don’t want you to end up like me. Because apparently beating Ganon 3 times over was not enough for me to atone for all the fucked up shit I’ve done, but I guess nothing will be. Not if I couldn’t even protect your from that stupid ass Moblin crushing your throat. Maybe I deserve it.”

“But you don-!” Warriors said suddenly, making Proxi nearly jump at the burst of his raspy voice. He was cut off by a mild coughing fit but carried on after a hit. “You don’t deserve it, Leg. None of us do, and especially not you.”

“You don’t know what I’ve done...”

“And you don’t know what I’ve had to do either,” the captain said firmly, his voice slowly gaining its usual strength. “Like you said, none of us should have regrets, and the same applies to you.”

“... do you really think so?” Legend’s voice was so uneven and low it hurt Proxi to hear him like that.

“I know so.” A new weight pressed against the scarf as Warriors probably drew Legend into a rare hug. Proxi’s heart settled and as did she, letting her body rest into the scarf again. “And look, you even got me to talk!”

A sniffle gave way to a scoff. “Only took me breaking down for you to finally break your silence.”

A smile lined Warrior’s voice as Proxi began to drift. “Either way, thanks.”

━━━O━━━

Warriors set the scarf down on his bedroll and watched the fairy as she slept. A lopsided grin formed naturally on his face. He picked up his sword, the weight feeling familiar in a both welcomed and unnerving way, but he pushed aside the darker thoughts. 

_ No regrets. _

He placed the sword behind his back and took up his spot for the watch, this time without the silent burden weighing him down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Legend & Warriors? The best hands down. And Proxi? My new favorite fairy (I never did like Navi).  
> It’s so hard to write a dialogue scene where the POV is not involved in the conversation and can’t see the other people. But I tried :)


	19. Song and Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some unwelcomed memories are recalled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crack because Fi is sometimes... terrifying

Sky still sometimes wakes up in a cold sweat from his dreams. It often takes him at least half an hour to calm his racing heart and remind himself it wasn’t real, but he can never bring himself to go back to sleep. Not after what he saw.

Fi’s singing.

Don’t get him wrong, she had the most beautiful voice he’d ever heard, apart from Sun. The spirit of the Master Sword could hum and sing tunes so gorgeous they were almost inhuman. And her dancing was a sight to behold. But the face she made while she sang was horrifying. It was like she was screaming in agony, and yet the tones escaping her throat were the exact opposite. Sky almost had a heart attack the first time she sang for him at the top of the Light Tower. That was only the first of many times he’d be subjected to the sight.

He’d thought he’d escaped that nightmare when Fi left and especially when he joined the crew of Links. But he was, unfortunately, extremely, very wrong. It all began when they sat around the campfire and sang their campfire songs.

“It’s the C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E-S-O-N-G song!” Wind half shouted half sang. 

“You said song twice,” Four pointed out. Wind shrugged and continued his merry tune, much to the others’ annoyance.

“Does anyone know any actual good songs with lyrics? I’d prefer not to listen to the sailor’s sea shanties all night,” Legend grumbled. 

Sky tapped his chin in thought. “I know a few. There’s the Ballad of the Goddess-“ A collective groan rang around the camp at the mention of the song. Sky’s face fell into a frown. “What’s wrong with that song?”

“Nothing, except for the fact that you always sing it.” Legend tossed his head back as he spoke in mock tiredness. Warriors took the chance to wack his throat, causing the veteran to cough and the captain to giggle at his fit. The two began wrestling in the ground while the conversation continued without them.

“Wild, don’t you have a song?” Hyrule asked. Wild stopped mid-bite of his skewer and nearly choked on what he’d been chewing.

“N-no.”

Twilight rolled his eyes and rocked forward into a crisscross position. “You do! I’ve heard you singing before. Don’t be shy, spit it out!”

“Spit it out! Spit it out!” Hyrule, Twilight, Wind, and surprisingly Four began chanting until Wild turned red. He turned to Time, who just put his hands in the air and closed his eyes. 

“Fine!” The four heroes cheered and gathered closer around Wild to hear him sing. He cleared his throat and closed his eyes, sitting up straight. He looked like he was about to begin, but he peeked one eye open. Wind scowled.

“Just go already!”

“Alright alright!” He got back into position. “My friend Kass taught me this. It’s just about the history of Hyrule.

_ " The kingdom of Hyrule is a vast and storied land, _

_Oft grasped in the palm of a villainous hand. ..”_

Sky closed his eyes as he began, absorbing Wild’s surprisingly warm and smooth voice. The champion really did have a talent for singing. As soon as he began the second verse, Sky elected to open his eyes. That was a mistake. As soon as he did, he bore witness to the stuff of nightmares. Wild’s mouth was agape as if he was screeching, but words spilled out of his mouth like a waterfall. His face was stone, unmoving as he performed.Sky glanced at the others, who all seemed to be in some sort of trance, ignorant to what was taking place before them. When Wild finished, they snapped out of it and clapped eagerly.

“That was great!” Twilight applauded, clapping his cub on the back. Wild blushed bright red.

“Th-thanks.”

Sky couldn’t bring himself to praise him. Not after what he just saw. Hyrule looks at him in concern.

“You ok?”

Sky swallowed and nodded. “I think so.”

“Do you know how to dance too?” Four asked Wild. He thought on that before smiling widely and standing up.

“This is the Bolson Construction Dance.”

And so Sky once again was shown the horrors from the depths of Wild’s Hyrule. He’d expected dancing similar to the elegance of Fi’s swift movements, but Wild’s dance was the stiffest, goofiest, and simultaneously terrifyingly stupid things he’d ever seen. When the champion finished his jig, Sky was once again left speechless as the others laughed. 

“And who taught you that?” Wind managed to get out after wiping tears from his eyes.

“Bolson, the guy who sold me my house,” Wild responded as he sat back down with a grin. Sky could sense a hint of madness radiating from it. “I can teach you all if you want.”

“Maybe another day,” Twilight said as he ruffled other's hair. Sky left the group of heroes and joined Time by his side. The older hero gave Sky a tiny grin.

“Did you see that?”

Time raised an eyebrow and turned his attention to the group. “Yes, and I’m surprised you did too. That was strong magic he was conjuring.”

“I hope to never have to see it again,” Sky finally declared. And leaned back and tried to erase the appalling memory from his brain, but knowing he’d have to live with the image for his entire life, and long after it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Sky because Skyward Sword is too much fun and Fi singing made me cackle and want to leave the room


	20. Familiar Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For The Bald Action Man: I have another suggestion: When Link is fighting against all four Blight Ganons in Age of Calamity Zelda actually listens to Impa and flees. With nobody coming to save Link or take him to the Shrine of Ressurection should he fall, Fi forces herself to fully awaken and comes back in her full form to protect her master...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for: canon typical violence, implied/referenced character death

Link glanced at Impa and nodded, the Sheikah receiving the wordless command and yanking the princess forward by her hand.

“Princess! Come with me!”

“We can’t leave him!” Zelda shouted once more, but Link was too engrossed in the battle to pay her any more attention. The four blights stood before him, baring their weapons and swinging wildly in any and every direction. It took every bit of focus and strength he could muster just to block a hit from the Thunderblight, and he’d need three times that if he was going to have any chance of defeating them. 

Waterblight threw its spear with incredible speed that Link just barely managed to jump out of the way of only to almost get skewered by Windblight’s arrow. He danced in between the shots, ducking below a swipe from Fireblight before an enormous metal rod landed beside him. He glanced at it, wondering where it came from when an enormous boot of electricity rained down from the sky and almost fried the hero. He stumbled back in shock and fear, losing his footing and having to throw himself into a backflip to avoid another spear being thrown. He landed on his knees, only just getting his shield up in time to not get himself cut in half by Fireblight’s ax, but he was tossed sideways and skidded across the ground before crashing into one of the walls of the fort that he was pretty sure he was a far distance from before.

Link felt the shield crumble from his hands, metal splinters embedding themselves in his probably broken arm. With a harsh suck of air from in between his teeth, Link used the Master Sword to get himself back to his feet, swaying a bit as he did. He saw the four blights approaching quickly, only a few seconds away from ending him. He took the little bit of time he had left to check and see how far Impa and Zelda had gotten. They were barely even specks now, gradually making their way further and further from Fort Hateno to safety. He loosened his grip on the sword.

The blights all arrived at once and simultaneously readied their attacks, pouring all of their power into one last one in order to finally end the hero. Link sighed and closed his eyes. He’d never thought he’d die peacefully, surrounded by family. He knew that when he became a knight, just as his father was, and it became painfully clear when he lifted the Master Sword to protect the princess and started the clock on the kingdom’s inevitable doom. “The Princess without a Blessing”, “The Harbinger Knight”, what a duo they made. 

He briefly wondered if his sister would miss him, if she was ok, if his father was still at the castle or if he’d escaped with the others if Hateno would fall along with its hero. As long as the princess was safe, so was Hyrule. She was their light, and a new hero would be reborn to replace him as soon as he was gone. But even so, he still did not want to die. Even so, he peeked an eye open at the scene of pure despair and hopelessness before him, and he still wished he had a second chance. Maybe then, he’d be able to save Hyrule.

The sword pulsed in his hand, practically quaking in his grip. Link tightened his hold to keep the blade from slipping free, watching as it moved violently on its own, and noticing how the blights and time itself had stopped around the two. It glowed dim blue at first, before gradually progressing into a brighter and more intense shade, lighting up the entire area around him. A sound, a song so familiar and ancient it felt engraved into his very spirit, one he’d heard lifetimes ago but could never remember. His head hurt trying to think about it, so he just closed his eyes and listened.

_ Fi’s world was like looking through a window of frosted glass. The world was blurry, a mishmash of shapes and colors that were recognizable but not discernible. She did not mind this, though, since she could hear perfectly well and was still able to aid her master. And yet, she could not see him when he was forced to use her blade against the princess herself, or how he felt seeing his new, older body for the first time, or finding the princess and awakening her from her long slumber. She claimed she did not mind, feelings were not necessary for a being such as herself, who was imbued with great wisdom by the goddess herself. _

_ And yet the window cleared just a bit when the new hero of a new era awakened. She’d been tucked away deep within the heart of the forest for thousands of years after her last endeavor against the demon with her previous, eccentric master when the boy found her. She hadn’t called to him as she’d done in the past, nor had the goddess sent him her way. He simply wandered into the Korok Forest, past the Lost Woods, and felt the need to draw the sword that was obviously bigger than himself. He stared in awe at the blade, and for a moment, Fi caught a glimpse of his face. His bright blue eyes like lighting and golden hair framing his young features. Far too young, as most of them were. But she did not question the goddess, she never did. _

_ And so they both endured many years of hard, relentless training until the day of the Calamity, the day Hyrule and its hero fell. Chipped and cracked and falling apart, held together by nothing more than desperation and futile prayers, he died in the arms of his princess and Fi could finally see clearly. She reached out and called to the princess, who heard her.  _

_ “The Shrine of Resurrection...” Fi said quickly before her power faded, “take him there, he can still be saved...” _

_ And so they did. His lifeless body was taken to the shrine made 10,000 years ago and her blade was put to rest for a hundred years more. Or it should’ve been a hundred years. But the flow of time is not always cruel. _

A bright light radiated from the blade, blinding everyone and everything on the battlefield. Link shielded his eyes from the light, keeping his grip on the hilt of the sword tight. He blinked away the bright spots that stayed in his vision and regained his sight, revealing the glowing form of a person before him. They floated a foot off the ground, with their body being split in coloring between a deep purple and light blue, arms draped in long sleeves that reached down their feet. They held up one of their arms, creating another burst of light that sent the blights reeling back, letting loose an ear-splitting scream of agony as they were bathed in the divine energy and dissipated into nothing, leaving behind only flakes of pink Malice in their wake. The being turned around slowly, revealing a feminine face that was devoid of emotion, but sent a pang of nostalgia and excitement through Link that he couldn’t explain.

“Who... are you?” He asked, but he felt deep down that he already knew the answer. She bowed deeply, her arms sweeping in a wide gesture through the air.

“Master, we should save the greetings for later, there are still enemies to be destroyed.”

She was right, there were 3 Guardians and 2 Lynels nearby that were quickly approaching Link. He steeled himself, readying his grip on the Master Sword while the being floated in front of him protectively, summoning a crown of blades above her head. 

“I predict a 65% chance of success if we direct the Guardians beams at the Lynels. It will significantly weaken them.”

Link nodded and worked out how he’d do such a thing, but a Lynel charging straight in his direction while the other readied it’s bow pulled him from his thoughts. He waited until the very last second and backflipped over the swing of the Lynel’s sword, feeling time slow.

“Hit the center of its skull master, that is its weak point,” the being somehow was able to say, apparently being able to move in slowed time. Link glanced at her, smiled, and proceeded to do just as she instructed while she barraged them with a series of attacks. Link drove his sword deep into the Lynel’s skull, his feet touching the ground and time resuming just as he did. The beast collapsed after just a few seconds of combat against Link and the being. He panted and turned to her, eyes wild with excitement and awe. She once again bowed.

“It has been eons since I last appeared to you in this form, master, so an introduction is surely required.” She lifted her head, her expression unchanging and her voice robotic and cold. “I am Fi, servant of the goddess and hero, and spirit of the Master Sword.”

“Fi,” Link repeated, the word rolling off his tongue like he’d heard it a thousand times before in a dream. He smiled widely, not paying attention to the Lynel that had begun to circle them. Fi did not miss the creature, and immediately materialized an enormous spear that flew across the battlefield and struck the monster in its leg, incapacitating it. She didn’t even turn around to do it.

“Yes master, that is my name.”

Link laughed lightly and held his sword up in front of him for the approaching Guardian. “I didn’t think I could miss someone I’ve never met until now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this time we get Fi being my favorite character behind Groose of course


	21. Chat with the Future (That Never Was)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For waffluu: If you’re up for a request: Flora meets Unity and Peace. They both talk about what happened in their timelines, and then later on into the night Flora feels sad about how Unity and Peace mostly got out of the Calamity unscathed while Flora had to endure Calamity Ganon for 100 years. Wild tries to cheer Flora up, while the little Egg boi Guardian watches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Peace and Unity and a little bit of theorizing :)
> 
> Also, I guess AOC spoliers kind of??

“So,” Flora began, sticking her fork into her food, “you are Lin-Wild and I from another timeline?”

“Yes,” Peace said with a smile.

“And that timeline exists because Terrako was reawakened by my power and traveled back in time to save Hyrule.”

Peace thought for a moment before turning her hand in a so-so sign. “He didn’t travel back in time, but rather to an entirely different timeline.”

“Wait, that doesn’t make sense,” Wild spoke up. “How can you travel across timelines without an instrument of the goddess? Time could only do it because he had the Ocarina of Time. Terrako is just a stupid robot.” The aforementioned diminutive Guardian perked up at the insult thrown at him and snapped his little claws at Wild’s shin, causing the champion to wince and shoot him a glare. Unity watched the two, unamused, while the Zeldas continued conversing.

“Wild is right, how could he have such an ability if he was made by... us?” Flora said thoughtfully.

“I believe he was programmed by our mother.” Peace swished her glass of champagne. “She created him as a failsafe in case I failed to...” she trailed off, her eyes flicking briefly to Flora before settling back on her food. Flora chewed on her cheek and sighed.

“Then I suppose it came in handy. At least there was one timeline where everything succeeded.”

Peace noticed Flora’s dejected tone and grabbed her hand. “We couldn’t have won with just Terrako’s warning though, the help of your time’s champions is what was the final nail in the Calamity’s coffin. We couldn’t have done it without you, princess.” She paused and smiled cheekily at Wild, who blushed and stuffed his face with steak. “Nor without the aid of your hero.”

Flora’s gaze drifted to the two, Unity who had a faint smile on his usually stoic face at Wild who was babbling away about whatever came to mind to distract him from the two princesses’ eyes. 

“But you said there was a dark prophet in your time.” Flora turned back to Peace.

“Yes, Astor.”

Flora nodded slowly. “I have never heard of such a person, but there was a fortune teller who told my father about the Divine Beasts.”

“Oh yes, they were in my timeline as well. I’m not too sure who it was though.”

Flora leaned forward and spoke in a low voice. “Don’t you think that’s odd? Whoever this person was, they gave us the knowledge of the ancient Sheikah technology, and then vanished from sight. Not even a year later, Wild found the Master Sword and began his training in the Royal Guard.” She crossed her arms. “It is all too coincidental for my liking.”

“Indeed, it is.”

“Flora,” Wild began in a whining tone. She looked back at Wild, who was holding a squirming Terrako in his arms while Unity was somehow covered in wildberry sauce. A positively ridiculous sight that made both princesses giggle. Wild continued to glare at them both until they managed to compose themselves.

“Can I kick this fucking guardian off the roof of the castle?”

━━━O━━━

Flora sat on the railing of her balcony, her dress glittering in the moonlight. A clear, stagnant night, with not a star in sight and the flickering of lanterns from the under-construction Castletown acting as little beacons of civilization. Or at least what was left of it. She envisioned what Peace and Unity’s Hyrule was like, towns like Mabe village bustling with activity, Lon Lon Ranch still the hub of the kingdom’s agriculture and farming, the castle constantly busy with servants and royals running from place to place. It was the memory of a past long forgotten by everyone but her, a memory that others were still living in happily.

A sharp knock at her door and Wild’s soft announcement of himself pulled her from her thoughts. He let himself in after a few seconds, his form obscured by the shadows of her room. Flora didn’t like looking at them: it reminded her too much of the time she’d spent trapped in this very castle, surrounded by nothing but darkness and malice. The very thought of it, of being back there, made her skin crawl. The only other thing she would ever thank the goddess for (besides Wild’s resurrection) was that she pitied her descendant enough to place large gaps in her memory of the century spent here. But even so, what little she did remember kept her up most nights. 

Wild moved toward her, leaning against the railing and peering over the edge. Flora smiled as she watched him glance between her and the drop below them. He no doubt thought she was crazy, sitting so dangerously on the ledge.

“I won’t fall,” she put one hand on her chest and held another in the air, “knight’s promise.”

Wild’s expression fell into a lopsided smile. “I think that only works if you were actually a knight, Princess.”

“Let's just say I’m doing it with your knight status then.”

His smile remained, but his eyes shadowed over a bit. “I’m no knight, Princess. Not anymore.” He looked down at his hands and exhaled, brushing back some of the hair that fell into his face. “I wonder what he thinks of me.”

She knew exactly where his train of thought was going, the downward spiral it would lead into. “Wild, you know it’s not...” she stopped when she saw where he was looking and the stupid grin on his face. Flora’s eyebrow twitched in irritation as she saw the egg guardian crawling up to her leg, his little body shifting between her and Wild and letting out a little tooting noise.

“Ready for round two?” Wild challenged, procuring a dagger from his belt. Terrako suddenly shifted, arms shooting out from his sides holding various different weapons that were perfect for his size. Wild rushed forward with a battle cry and the two commenced a fight that looked more performative than anything. Flora felt her mood brighten along with her smile, remembering how different Wild had been 100 years ago, how— like Unity— he was forced into silence by the weight of expectations. 

She listened to his musical laugh fill the air and wondered if maybe their timeline wasn’t so apocalyptic and full of doom as she thought. They still did have a future, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of love them, not gonna lie.


	22. A Ball to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda hates balls, but this one proves to be unexpectedly good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slow burn, strangers to friends to lovers, Zelink, pretending you don’t like each other but u actually do, basically the Bridgerton!Zelda AU But with LU boys

Zelda detested, no loathed, balls of any and all forms. She hated having to be fitted for her royally inconvenient ball gown instead of her lovely travel trousers and having to practice dances and work extra hard in her elocution classes all week while avoiding the ballroom so the staff could work on it for the night. And when it finally arrived, as it had that night, it was no less torturous and achingly slow than the ones she’d attended many times before.

And so she sat, or rather leaned against the golden detailed door, gritting her teeth painfully as she forced a delicate smile to her face and respectfully nodded along to the insufferable prattling of whatever duke or count or viscount was talking to her while she sipped her champagne, wishing she could just down a whole bottle. Zelda reckoned she could do it in 3 seconds flat with the way this conversation was panning out.

The first dance would soon commence and, as was customary at all balls hosted by the royal family (which was nearly all of them, much to Zelda’s dismay), she was made to lead the first dance with a partner of her choosing. Though, if it had been her choice, she’d much rather have preferred to be somewhere in Akkala by Robbie’s side, discovering the hidden attributes of the local flora. Instead, she was here, wearing shoes that were too snug around her toes, a dress that was highly uncomfortable, and walking past a line of potential suitors and other nobles vying for power.

She quickly shuffled past the sons of Hylian dukes, Lord Link “Twilight” Ordona, Duke Time's only son and heir to the Akkala region, and Lord Link “Wind” Linebeck, a rather enthusiastic young man who was heir to nothing and whose father was a distant relative of the king’s treasurer. Neither caught her attention, so she moved on to the Zora Prince Sidon, of whom most of the kingdom knew had his eyes focused more keenly on the other men in the line rather than the princess with divine powers. Zelda smiled warmly at him, earning back his trademark smile that surely made any lord or lady swoon with delight.

Daruk stood mightly with his hands planted firmly on his hips, shooting Zelda a wink of encouragement as she turned to Viscount Sky, heir to the Skyloft Chieftaincy and a close ally of the king. His guard Warriors must’ve been somewhere close by and Zelda was itching to speak with her lifelong friend. She nodded respectfully in his direction and returned the gesture. She spared small nods to Prince Link “Legend” Lorule (why were they all named Link?) And his liege Link “Four” Minish. The final man was the Gerudo Prince Dragmire, an enormous and imposing man who still bore a warm and caring smile. It nearly made Zelda blush, but she managed to keep her composure. With no others in the line, she offered her hand to the prince, who took it with a smile, leaning forward and kissing it gently.

She allowed him to lead her to the dance floor, ignoring all the whispers and the inevitable rumors that would rise as a result of her choice. She dared to spare a glance at her father, who seemed less than pleased with her partner hailing from what he called the “place of wretched, barbaric desert thieves”. Zelda never did understand her father’s hatred towards the Gerudo, considering they’d nothing to deserve the Hyrulian’s hatred since the Era of Myths, which is called such for a good reason. 

Dragmire stopped in the middle, placing a hand around her waist. She let her hand rest on his shoulder, and the two began the simple court dance, spinning in small circles, then moving around one another before meeting again in the middle and repeating until the music stopped. At that point, they separated, bowed, and the other couples were permitted to enter the dance floor. Zelda exhaled in relief as people came flooding in, obscuring her view of the Gerudo prince, who sported a slightly disappointed look at being apart from his partner. It was no matter to Zelda though, she would simply return to her spot and hopefully manage to last the rest of the night with no interruptions or-

“Your grace,” a deep voice, like honey on a hot summer day beneath the clouds, said. It sent shivers down Zelda’s spine and causing her neck to warm immensely. She spun to meet the piercing blue gaze of a man just about her height. His armor wasn’t too familiar, donning the traditional colors of soldiers hailing from the Necluda region, wearing shades of deep ocean blue and white that made him look like a fairy tale knight. It was all quite surreal, so surreal in fact that Zelda failed to respond, and the man, or rather boy since he appeared no older than Zelda herself, grabbed her hand, quickly snapping her back into reality.

“Your grace,” he repeated in that same damned voice that Zelda was sure had colored her cheeks an even further shade of red than they already were. “Would you spare me this dance?” He bowed his head and dipped low, showing off his crown of golden hair to Zelda. 

“O- of course,” she spluttered, reaching to put her hand into his palm. He pressed a kiss onto the back of her gloved hand, which should not have flustered her so much since it was customary, but it did. When he stood, she noticed his eyes were sparkling with something that looked like courage or nervousness, though she wasn’t quite sure it was either. He immediately wrapped his hand around her waist in a manner that was borderline indecent and the two began their waltz, gliding gracefully across the dance floor, weaving in between couples and groups of onlookers who’d caught sight of the princess and her mystery partner. She stared into his eyes as they went about the dance, noting he had a large scar that ran from his hairline down to his chin, somehow sparing his eye in whatever incident caused it. 

“Tell me, sir, what is your name?”

“Perhaps it is not one that should grace the princess’s ears,” he whispered. He leaned a little back and grinned.

“I would like to know who dared to ask for a dance. Not many others have such courage. " She stepped on his toes.

“Maybe you should focus more on the steps rather than who I am.”

They came apart and together again, resuming their conversation.

Zelda glanced down at her feet. “I’d like to be certain I am not dancing with a mere specter. You didn't even flinch when I-”

“Stomped on my toes? Either way, a specter must be better than most of the options presented to you.” His eyes flicked over to Twilight, who was engaged in an animated conversation with a maid. His face oddly seemed to darken slightly. “I do hope I fulfilled at least some of your expectations.”

“I would guarantee you have if you only reveal your name to me.”

He paused in thought and his lips threatened to part into a smile, but they stayed in a small grin. “It is a name that only belongs to one stupid enough to do such a bold move such as this, and I should assume it is not too hard to guess, considering half the court shares it with me.”

Zelda was amused by his playful banter and decided to humor him. “Hm, I wouldn’t be wrong to presume it would be something along the lines of... Sir Tingle?” His face scrunched in disgust and disbelief, causing Zelda to laugh lightly for the first time that night. Or even in several months. Quite the accomplishment for someone whose name she didn’t even know.

“It would be most gracious of you if you would disclose that information to me,” she added as he pulled her back in from a spin. “Perhaps you’d earn a reward for pleasing the princess so thoroughly.”

He leaned in closer than before, speaking in a voice that she could barely register. “It was certainly enjoyable _pleasing_ you as such, but I do not want my identity to sour your night.”

The music stopped and the dance ended. Zelda pulled away from him, her face now thoroughly washed in red, while the man simply bowed and stepped away, getting lost in the crowd. She stood dumbstruck for a moment at the gall of the man to speak to the princess in such a way (and to suggest such a thing!), before shaking away the statement and determine that she’d forget the entire encounter by the end of the night. And with that in mind, she made her way over to one of the servants and quickly drank 4 glasses of champagne before Sidon made his way over and put an end to her ridiculousness.

“You will surely kill yourself if you continue these habits,” he warned lightheartedly. Zelda shrugged him off.

“A man said something to me.”

“And what was that?”

Zelda swished her drink around, thinking of how to phrase his statement without making herself seem stupid for being so flustered over one man she did not know the name of. “Something that makes no sense. Do you happen to know a man about my age who bears a large scar across his face and is from the Necluda region?”

The description startled Sidon, and Zelda didn’t know until that moment that Zora could open their eyes so wide. He looked positively shocked at what she’d said and nervously fiddled with his glass. “I uh, I suppose I do.”

“And what would his name happen to be?”

Sidon sighed and put down his glass. “Princess, he is not one you should be associating. It is a miracle that no one here saw you with him, otherwise, you’d have a national scandal on your hands.”

That further piqued Zelda’s interest, which she blamed on her innate researcher instincts placed by her father. “And why might that be?”

“Princess!” A sudden voice from behind, that was all too familiar and welcomed but inconvenient, exclaimed. She turned to huff frustratedly at Warriors, who hugged her deeply, did the same to Sidon while also placing a rather passionate kiss on the Zora’s cheek (Zelda was almost certain he’d faint with how blue he was blushing), and sat beside his friends. “What did I miss?”

“I was interrogating Sidon about a mystery dance partner I just had the pleasure of being entertained by.” She gestured to the Prince, insisting he explain. Sidon glared at her before proceeding. 

“A man with a scar down his face from Necluda.”

Warriors’s expression suddenly soured. “Oh, him.”

“Yes him.”

Zelda huffed. “Might you two care to tell me who this ‘him’ is? I’d like to know if I was just dancing with an assassin or something worse.”

“Oh he is worse than an assassin,” Warriors warned, leaning his elbows onto his knees. “His name is Link.”

Zelda raised an eyebrow. “Just Link? That’s a fairly common name, what’s the issue?”

Warriors shook his head. “Not just any Link, he’s Link Ordona.”

Zelda scrunched her face in confusion. “I don’t understand, there is only one Ordona child and I just saw him speaking with one of the servants.”

“Warriors, you're taking too long to explain,” Sidon complained. “He’s Link ‘Wild’ of Akkala. I met him during the war, he was in one of the regiments under the captain's command. Though he may technically be one, the Ordona family name does not exactly extend to him.”

“Oh,” Zelda said in realization. “He’s a bastard.”

━━━O━━━

Wild leaned against the railing of the balcony, looking into the starry night sky. It was beautiful during this time, and it was when his heart ached the most for the nights he’d spent with his brother and friends beneath the stars, or climbing running along the beach before collapsing onto the wet, sandy shores. Being in central Hyrule made him feel like a caged animal, and he was bursting with energy. But that feeling had just gotten him into deep waters by asking the princess to dance. It was possibly the stupidest decision in his life and he knew his father would surely punish him for it. But Wild couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. He turned at the sound of footsteps behind him and spotted Hyrule, who made his way to his friend's side and looked up at the stars.

“I miss it too,” his friend stated simply, reading Wild's mind. “But I miss you more at the party.”

Wild huffed but still let a smile drag the corner of his lips up. “You’ll be fine without me, you always are.”

Hyrule shook his head and put a hand on top of Wild’s. “You know that's not true.” His eyes scanned the tops of the tree line in the distance in much the same way he used to when it was just the two of them in knight training. “I need you. Especially at these stupid royal events.”

Wild opened his mouth to respond when a new set of footsteps forced Hyrule to retract his hand and stand up straight. Wild spun around and saw the princess in her royal blue gown, marching toward them like a woman on a mission while Prince Sidon and Sir Warriors watched from the doorway, poorly hiding. Wild immediately fell to his knees and Hyrule bowed. 

“Your grace,” they said simultaneously.

“Count Hyrule,” Zelda greeted, and Wild saw Hyrule flinch at the title out of the corner of his eye. He still wasn't familiar with the title. “I was remiss to not be in your company during the first dance. I would’ve loved to grant it to you.”

“It would’ve been an honor, your grace, but alas, I was tending to other matters and could not be in your lovely presence.” The words came out of his mouth awkwardly and Wild forced himself to not giggle. Zelda only nodded.

“No matter. I would like to speak to Sir Link.” Hyrule took that as his cue to leave, bowing one more time before shuffling off quickly. “Please rise, sir knight.”

Wild sighed and steeled himself for whatever punishment he was about to receive. He stood and locked onto the princess’s hard green eyes. “Why did you not spare me the details of your identity?”

“So you know?”

“Do you purposefully throw away your manners when addressing the princess or did you simply forget them?”

Wild bit his lip and tried not to squirm. “I... would it be laughable to say I’d forgotten them, your grace?”

The princess looked slightly taken aback by that admission and her gaze softened, but she did not let up on questioning. She moved to his side and Wild prayed to his patron goddess that he not be executed on the spot for his blatant breaking of court rules.

“I’d...” Zelda paused, putting some thought into her words before she spoke, “like to thank you, for the dance earlier. As I said before, it brought me a great deal of joy. Most likely the most I’ve had in months, I’d assume.”

Wild somehow managed to stop himself from yelping and bursting out into song at what she said. He instead kept his head down and tried to hide his smile with his hair.

“I- I’m glad, Your grace.” Silence fell between the two as Wild tried his hardest not to meet her piercing eyes.

“I don’t suppose you’d be willing to grant me another?” She asked, the ghost of a smile on her face. Wild was startled, to say the least.

“If that is what you wish. Though, I’m not sure I’d reflect well on you.”

She clicked her tongue and waved her hand rather unladylike, making Wild grin. “It matters not what the court would think of such an activity. I’m simply asking a knight to dance, nothing more.”

Zelda turned to Wild, looking at him face to face, and he nearly lost himself in her eyes. She truly was the goddess’s descendant, if her beauty was anything to attest to that fact. But her wit was nothing to merely sweep aside either, and the confidence with which she stared at him almost made him forget she was the princess and he was a bastard knight entirely.

His eyes swept across her face, taking in her delicately red cheeks, bright green eyes, the way the light bounced off her nose, before lingering on her lips. Wild immediately turned his gaze elsewhere, feeling his face grow warm at the thought of her. He bowed his head.

“I would be honored-“

“Sir Wild,” a sudden voice said from the entrance to the main hall. The two turned to find a rather large man approaching the two, his arms crossed in front of his chest. “Your grace.”

Wild could’ve sworn he heard Zelda sigh in disappointment, but the thought soon vanished when she graced the man with a smile. “Duke Time. It is very nice to see you here.”

He fell into a bow. “Of course your grace.” When he stood, his eyes landed on Wild, shooting him a hard look before returning back to the princess. “I apologize if my s- knight has inconvenienced you this evening. I should not have let him do as he pleased.”

“Oh, it is surely not an issue. In fact,” she smiled at Wild, “he made my evening far more exciting than I could’ve hoped it to be, and for that, I must thank him.”

Wild said nothing, only keeping his hands behind his back and acknowledging her compliment with a slight bob of his head. Time stared at him, his expression unreadable, before running a hand through his hair.

“I thank you for your invitation, your grace, my son and I had a most wonderful time. I am saddened to say that we must leave,” he kissed her hand, “though I do hope to see you rather soon.”

Zelda curtsied lightly. “I am certain that will be the case.” 

Time turned on his heel and walked away, not waiting for Wild to follow. The knight began his march when he felt a hand on his arm, pulling him back. He looked behind him and saw Zelda, looking at him with a sorrowful and almost desperate expression. She dropped her hand and looked down at her dress.

“The night was not wasted, thanks to your company, Sir Wild.” She closed her eyes and brought them back level with his own. “And I truly would love to see you again.”

Wild nearly gasped in surprise, but held back the rather disrespectful reaction and instead stepped closer to the princess, within distance of an embrace. He placed a hand on her hip before leaning forward and kissing her lightly on the cheek. When he drew back, her face was a positively vibrant shade of red that made him grin mischievously.

“And as do I.” He tipped his head one last time before following after Time, catching up with the duke as he made his way around the corner, apparently waiting for Wild to join him.

“Took you long enough,” he muttered, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for the knight to explain. 

“I was saying goodbye to the princess,” Wild responded faintly, already knowing he would receive punishment when they returned home for his insolence. “Apologies, my lord.”

Time regarded him for a long moment and finally let his expression soften, grabbing the boy’s shoulder gently. “As long as you did not reveal yourself too much, all is fine. I hope your night was not as boring as my own.”

Wild bit his lip and chose not to answer the first part of the statement. “I pray that the goddess blesses you with more fortune in regards to these events, my lord.”

“It’s just the two of us, Wild, no need for the title.”

Wild smirked a bit. “Very well than father, I’m sorry your night was a pile of dogshit.”

Time rolled his eye and patted the boy on the back before continuing on his path away from the ballroom to the exit. Wild made to follow after him but stopped after a few steps, glancing behind him at the distant figure of the princess, hands on the balcony railing in front of her, tracing patterns in the stars. He burned the image into his head, hoping to one day do the same but by her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry guys but Bridgerton is so good and I think it’d be a super fun AU. And the musical on TikTok is perfect.  
> I tried to kind of world build but if I fully did it, this would've turned into a 50k word fic with 15 chapters, so if some things don’t make any sense, it’s because of that.


	23. Ode to the Wild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hero awakens, and the wilds embrace him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is basically my love letter to the 2016 E3 BOTW trailer, which I love with all my heart and soul.

He didn't remember much at first. Well, he didn't remember anything at all, whether it be speaking or walking or his own name. The only thing he remembered was blue, cold, wet, and then a golden voice that woke him from a slumber he didn't even know he was in.

_“Open your eyes...”_

And he did. He opened them to lush fields of bright green grass dotted with spots of wildflowers that survived in the great expanse, framed by mountains whose peaks were hidden behind thin clouds, revealing none of their secrets.

To deep valleys and rifts in between the harshest and steepest of cliffs and walled in by rocky stone walls, with well-trodden paths taken by many travelers, but nonetheless dangerous with their beauty.

To sunny beaches where the palm trees waved with the wind and the sea, gentle waves kissing the shoreline before retreating back into the ocean, sporting countless discoveries that none but the most courageous of souls— or the most reckless of children— would ever dare to uncover. Paths sometimes revealed to the sunlight and lurking monsters who scared off all except those able to conquer them from uncovering the land's private wonders.

To the animals who roamed in the untamed ruins of a once-great kingdom, paying little mind to the great dueling mountains, once said to be one before being split by a dragon, or the state of a kingdom that had long since perished, or the harshness of their canyons and deserts and worlds that were difficult for any living being to endure.

To the memory of land once prosperous, once teeming with life from all races, and temples and sacred places that were dilapidated and abandoned by any and all life forms.

_ “Open your eyes...” _

To nature’s sometimes terrifying showcases of raw and unsparing power. When lighting struck and great torrential rains fell and the world itself seemed to unleash its fury upon whatever stood in its path, whether mechanical or organic.

_ “Wake up, Link.” _

And when he did, he never wanted to sleep again. 

He sprinted and leaped off, feeling the wind rush past his face, eyes wide at the sight of the world, naive and hopeful. Running through the forest, taming wild horses, trotting across grand bridges, climbing anything and everything that caught his eye or prodded him with a challenge, practically goading him to test his abilities by scaling it. Discovering hidden secrets and koroks, cooking, hunting, finding ways to solve his problems that didn’t always involve a sword.

The great dragon engulfing the castle.

Fighting foes from bokoblins to moblins to chu chus to a stone talus. Running across seas of sand and tundras blanketed with layers of snow, conquering shrines that were sometimes impossible to find and even harder to finish, but always left him stronger than before, ready for his next battle, because he swore to himself, the mysterious princess in the castle, and the land of Hyrule itself that he would never fall again-

Light shone off the blade, reflecting its divine light onto the surrounding foliage. Some nights, it almost seemed to glow, it’s blue pulsing slowly and softly, breathing along with the world. The princess stood silent behind it.

_ The Master Sword was laid to rest in the forest, its blade chipped but unbroken, waiting a century for its master to awaken, to regain his strength, and conquer himself one last time. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love that trailer and I really just wanted to write something that captured the entire vibe of BOTW. The way it starts off calm and then everything slowly builds and swells and then finally crescendos before ending so so gently is just ugh *chefs kiss* gorgeous.  
> So this is basically ‘me gushing over BOTW’s trailer’ the chapter


	24. Masks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time isn’t the only one with masks.

“If you think Time has some cool masks, then think again,” Wild proclaimed, swiping through his Sheikah Slate inventory. Time, who was pretending to sleep while he secretly listened into Wild’s conversation with the others, brushed it off as light bragging and nothing more. 

“I doubt you’ve got anything even half as cool as the old man’s crap,” Four joked but still peeked over Wild’s shoulder to try and see what he was going to pull out.

“Never doubt smithy, that’s how you loose money when you gamble.”

Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “You’ve gambled?”

“Uh maybe? Anyway, here’s the first one!” Wild tapped a few buttons and the mask materialized on his face. “Ta da!”

Wind snorted. “That’s what you were dying to show us? A shoty Lynel mask?”

“It’s not shoty,” Wild snapped. “If you’ve got it on, Lynels can’t recognize you and won’t attack you.”

“I can sense a faint magic from it,” Hyrule commented, observing closely. “Where’d you get something like this?”

“This guy named Kilton, he sells a bunch of monster mask and outfits in my Hyrule.”

Legend snuck up from behind and snatched the mask off of his face, much to Wild’s disgruntlement. The veteran held it up close to his face, squinting his eyes into the buttons sewn on. “It is magical.” He tossed it back into Wild’s hands. “Got anything better?”

“Anything better, I’ll show you something better,” Wild muttered under his breath, placing the Lynel mask back into the Slate before summoning another one. “How’s this?”

The group fell into silence, causing Time to crack his eye open to see what had shocked them so much. He instantly regretted it when his gaze fell on a pair of bright red eyes.

“Uh, hello? Anyone going to say anything?”

Unsurprisingly, Sky was the first to speak, almost completely unfazed by the mask. “It’s pretty terrifying. Where’d you get it?”

“Same place as the last one.” Wild pulled a strand of hair in front of his eyes, twisting the grey around in his fingers. “I think Kilton called it the Dark mask. Pretty fitting name if you ask me.”

“Wild,” Warriors said, his tone unusually dangerous and low. It sent a shiver down the champion’s spine. “Take it off.”

Wild glanced around at the others, unsure of why they were acting so odd. They were all tense, with their fingers twitching noticeably for their swords and eyes trained on his face. Even Twilight had a dark look in his eyes that scared Wild.

“O-ok.” He immediately pressed the button and unequipped the mask, feeling the pressure alleviate slightly.

“Why do you have something like that?” Twilight asked after a moment of regaining his composure.

“I thought it looked cool. And it lets me run faster at night.” He sighed as he flicked through the screens and selected something different. A little strange. The green hood sat on top of his head. “And this is just stupid.”

Whatever tension was left immediately left as Wind and Legend howled with laughter, while the others giggled or gave him an amused smile. Even Time shook his head heartily.

“YOU’RE A FUCKING TINGLE!” Wind hollered in between laughs. “Oh my fucking goddess, what in the fucking hell?”

Wild’s face turned red as he quickly swiped through and found four masks he thought were the coolest ones he had. “Ok, these four will knock your socks off.”

Warriors waved his hand and sat back comfortably. “Go ahead.”

The masks materialized in his hands, and he held them up one by one, starting with the stoney one that had a bright orange tail. He ignored the buzzing sound of a muffled voice that emerged in the back of his head.

“I found this one in the desert, near this place called Arbiter’s Grounds. I heard it’s from a princess from another realm.” He shrugged and set it down carefully in front of him. “Just a story though.”

A chorus of oos and ahs proceeded as the others observed. 

“This one feels like...” Hyrule began, eyes flicking from the mask to Twilight, who was standing petrified. “Twi, you ok?”

Wild looked to his mentor, whose lips were parted as he mumbled something under his breath. He fell to his knees in front of the mask, snatching it up in his hands so tightly Wild was worried he’d break it. His usually calm eyes were a storm of emotion as his shaky hands stroked the mask. Wild looked to the others, who were all just as confused as he was, before putting a gentle hand on his shoulder, making Twilight jump.

“Sorry, it’s just... do you want to keep it?”

Twilight opened his mouth and choked on words, his eyes brimming with tears, before nodding and walking off, mask still in hand. Wild clenched his fist and carried on to the next mask, resolving to talk to Twilight later when he’d calmed down a bit.

“Um, well this one is part of the Phantom Ganon set, but I don’t really know why because it doesn’t look like the Calamity at all.” Wild held the horned mask up to his face, fixing the red hair on it as he did. “It increases my stealth.”

“Wild, why the fuck are all of your masks so traumatizing?” Legend growled, his voice hot with anger. Wild flinched back at his shift in mood.

“Legend, stop,” Sky said. Legend scoffed before stomping away. Hyrule looked lost for a moment before resolving to follow the veteran. Time was staring at Wild with such intensity it was like he was trying to burn a hole right through the champion. Wild wasted no time putting the mask away.

“I think we should turn in for the night,” Four suggested, getting hums of agreement from Warriors and Sky and a disappointed groan from Wind. They set up their bedrolls and went to sleep, with Wild taking first watch. Twilight was still out, most likely having transformed and Legend returned with Hyrule in two half an hour after they left, the traveler giving him a quick apology before also hitting the sack. Wild was left staring into the dark night, fidgeting with the last two masks he’d pulled out of his Slate.

“Those truly were some interesting masks you have,” Time said from behind, taking a seat beside the champion. “I’m sorry that the others didn’t see that.”

Wild exhaled and rested his head in the palm of his hands. “It’s fine, I get it. Probably brought up some bad memories.”

Time hummed. “And the last two? You did say you had four, didn’t you?”

Wild immediately brightened at what Time was suggesting. He reached to his side and presented the two masks to Time, feeling the buzzing grow a little louder.

“Here! These two are my favorite. This one,” he pointed to the heart shaped mask with bright yellow eyes and green and yellow spokes, “is my favorite. Monsters don’t recognize you when you where it, so it comes in handy for sneak attacks. And it’s pretty strange but awesome looking.” Wild didn’t notice the way Time’s jaw clenched so hard he could’ve broken a tooth or how his hands shook as he took hold of the object. 

“And this one,” Wild held the humanoid mask in his hands triumphantly. “Is the most useful. It makes me stronger and I can shoot sword beams when I wear it. So, what do you thin-“

“You can’t have these masks.” Time’s tone was final and harsh. Wild crossed his arms in front of him.

“Yes I can, they’re mine and-“

“They’re not yours or anyone’s and you don’t understand what you’re in possession of, cook,” Time hissed. He stood and turned away masks in hand. “I’m taking these with me, and you will not be getting them back.”

“Time, wait! You can’t just take them, they’re mine!” Wild tried to pull Time back but the older hero shrugged him away.

“I should’ve destroyed them when I had the chance.” Time glared daggers at the two objects. “If I had then none of this would’ve happened. But I’ll do it now, so at least you can be safe from whatever is inside-“

A hand on his shoulder tried to stop him, but Time brushed it off. Or he tried to, but the grip tightened and he was spun around to face Wild, whose eyes were stark white, missing the usual bright blue irises. It reminded Time of his own scarred eye, and it sent a spike of fear through his core.

**_ You will hand the masks over, little one. _ **

The voice he spoke with was one Time thought he’d rid himself of long ago. It was horrifying to here it coming from Wild. Time swallowed hard and steeled himself.

“I will not.”

Wild, or rather, the deity in possession of Wild, stared at him, turning its head to the side slowly like a confused puppy does. He held a hand out.

**_ You will hand the masks over. _ **

Time didn’t even blink and the two masks were gone from his hands and Wild was sitting back where he was before, staring into the woods with a bored look on his face. Time tried to call out, but a choked sound escaped his throat instead, catching the champion’s attention. Worry filled his features as he saw the fear on Time’s face.

“Old man, what’s wrong?”

Time stumbled back, shaking his head lightly and walking back to where he was leaning against the tree, falling heavily into a sitting position and trying to even out his breath. He dared one more glance at Wild and felt his markings burn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooo spooky. I've been obsessed with Fierce Deity stuff lately  
> This is the last one of this crazy oneshot a day spree I'm on because I FINALLY finished this other series I've been working on, so if you made a request, it's coming :)


	25. Repetition Repetition Repetiton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you feel you've done it more times than necessary, you haven't done it enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Groundhog Day!! Also, look at the endnotes for some announcements

The first thing Wild saw was a blue ocarina.

Time stood next to his bedroll, shaking hands holding the instrument while he scanned the camp with haunted eyes. Wild’s heart skipped a beat at the sight, unsure of why he was so shaken.

“Time,” he whispered, voice still raspy with the rare spell of sleep that’s struck him the night before. The older hero turned to him, blinking the fear away and replacing it with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He crouched down to Wild’s face and stroked his hair soothingly.

“Hey Cub, did I wake you?”

Wild shook his head sleepily, yawning widely as he did. “Naw, just happened to wake up. Should I make breakfast?”

“No, it’s still too earlier. Go ahead and go back to sleep, I’ll wake you up when it’s time.”

Without another word, Wild smiled and let his eyes shut, the image of Time pushed to the back of his mind and replaced with the calm ocean of rest. 

━━━O━━━

The plates were served, sizzling bacon and fried eggs as the sides to the mountain of pancakes each hero was given. They all dug in greedily, practically inhaling the delicious food Wild had made. Even Warriors who usually ate light decided to treat himself.

“Fuck yea,” Wind said with satisfaction. “This shit hits the spot.”

“Hey, language,” Sky warned, but with no actual anger. “No but seriously Wild, this is the best breakfast I think you’ve ever made.”

Wild blushed a bit and grinned. “Hehe thanks. I was in the mood to make something good.” He glanced at Time, who was poking at his food.

“Great job Champ,” Warriors praised, slapping the boy on the back playfully. 

They packed their things up and set on the road, setting course for Lon Lon Ranch, which they happened to reach after only two hours of peaceful walking. Malon greeted them with wide arms and a bright smile, giving everyone their tasks while she and Time headed to Castletown. Wild was left to cook, which he of course didn’t mind.

He watched the others bicker and roughhouse from the window of the kitchen as he baked several loaves of vanilla bread (which was more cake than bread) and made a feast for dinner later that night. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt his spirits be higher than usual, and it drove the champion to cook with an intensity he wasn’t sure he’d ever had before. 

Malon and Time returned from Castletown a few hours later, carrying bags of supplies and a few gifts that she promised she’d hand out after they all ate. Even Time seemed brighter, actually cracking a genuine grin ever so often. Wild sighed in relief, figuring his earlier fear was probably from a nightmare or memory. Dinner was served, steaming beef curry and rice that they gobbled down, which was followed by an impromptu gift-giving session. Malon handed out several stacks of postcards to each person, saying that she knew everyone had someone they left behind and wanted them to always be able to always keep in touch. Wild felt the heat build in the back of his eyes, remembering Zelda and Sidon and everyone else back in his time. The sound of laughing and a few sniffles let him know the others felt the same about the gift. 

After a few games, some playfully fighting, and bids goodnight, the others set up their bedrolls in the barn and quickly fell asleep. Wild stared at the wood of the ceiling, trying to grace the patterns in the darkness of the night while his eyelids began to droop. His heart was warm and a smile slowly crept its way onto his tired features. The memories of laughter and joy lead him into his dreams for the second night in a row.

━━━O━━━

The first thing Wild saw was a blue ocarina.

Time stood next to his bedroll, shaking hands holding the instrument while he scanned the camp with haunted eyes. Wild’s heart skipped a beat at the sight, clearly remembering that he’d seen the same sight before. 

“Time,” he whispered, voice slightly choked with hesitance. 

The older hero turned to him, blinking the fear away and replacing it with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He crouched down to Wild’s face and stroked his hair soothingly.

“Hey Cub, did I wake you?”

Wild swallowed hard, his mind racing as he tried to understand what was happening. Time’s features began to twist to worry, so he quickly said something. “N-no, I just happened to be awake. Should I start on breakfast?”

“No, it’s still too earlier. Go ahead and go back to sleep, I’ll wake you up when it’s time.”

Without another word, Wild nodded and let his eyes shut, but didn’t fall asleep, trying to understand what was happening. Soon enough, Time gently shook the boy, whose eyes snapped open. He observed the camp. Everything was the same as he remembered. Time on watch, Warriors and Twilight already up and sharpening their weapons, Wind wrapped in Legend’s arm while Hyrule was in the other. Four reading a book, Sky still fast asleep. He stood and walked over to the cooking pot, deciding to make the same thing he’d made last time. Maybe it was a dream.

“Fuck yea,” Wind said with satisfaction. “This shit hits the spot.”

“Hey, language,” Sky warned, but with no actual anger. “No but seriously Wild, this is the best breakfast I think you’ve ever made.”

Wild swallowed hard and made himself laugh. “I, uh, just felt like making it.”He glanced at Time, who was poking at his food.

“Great job Champ,” Warriors praised, slapping the boy on the back playfully. 

Again, they packed up and set off for Lon Lon, where they were greeted by Malon with welcoming arms that still comforted Wild. They were all assigned tasks, Wild headed to the kitchen and made the same meal as before. They reconvened, ate the food with pleasure, had vibrant conversation that still made him smile and laugh. The stacks of letters were once again handed out, which still brought up the same emotions as before, but this time without the surprise and they went to sleep. Wild stayed up, busying himself with organizing his Sheikah Slate inventory, and watched the time on the slate turn from 9 to 10 to 11. He sighed as he watched the minutes tick by, his eyes fluttering closed ever so often. It was getting hard to stay awake but he’d force himself to. It was 11:59, and Wild sat up, counting the seconds until 12:00. Only a few more left, and then it’d be the next-

The first thing Wild saw was a blue ocarina.

━━━O━━━

There were a few things Wild learned in his time loops.

First, no matter how hard he tried to change things, everything always panned out the same way. They always go to Lon Lon, Wild always makes dinner, Malon hands out gifts, and they go to sleep at 9. It doesn’t matter if he purposefully stalls or starts a fight or leads them to monsters, things turn out the same.

Second, the clock never strikes 12:00 on the next day. At 11:59:59, he is sent back to the start of the day, blue ocarina in sight, Time standing shaking over him. The sight was familiar by now, so he didn’t think too much about it.

And finally, he was the only one stuck in the loop or at least the only one conscious it was happening. While that didn’t make things easier, no one else was subjected to the same endless torture of repeating everything again. 

The 15th time he opened his eyes to the same sight of the instrument, something happened. He didn’t whisper Time’s name, as he did in the first few loops, since he knew Time would act the same no matter what. But this time, he watched the older hero being the ocarina up to his face and consider something before he snapped back around and locked eyes with Wild. 

“Cook,” he breathed. Wild raised an eyebrow and gestured to the ocarina. Time glanced at it and sighed, stuffing it away. “Just thought I should play a tune for us all, nothing else.”

Wild kept that in mind throughout the loop, waiting until the next to ask. Same sight, same actions.

“Time.” The older hero’s eyes fell on Wild. “What’s with the ocarina?”

Time sighed and shook his head. “Noth-“

“No,” Wild interrupted. “Tell me.”

Time raised an eyebrow, surprised by his bluntness, but Wild had stopped caring about patience several loops ago. 

“It’s the Ocarina of Time. I used it on my adventure.”

"For what?"

Time bit his lip. "Time travel."

Oh. "And you still use it now?"

The older hero's breaths grew shaky and his eyes swept across everyone's faces, filled with terror. "Yes."

"Why this time?"

Wild realized the conversation was over when Time stood and hooked the ocarina back onto his belt, the mask of calmness and composure back on. "No reason. Get some rest, Wild, you'll need it in the morning."

Wild sighed and fell back onto his bedroll. He'd have to try again next loop.

━━━O━━━

"Why did you use the ocarina?"

Time startled, turning to Wild who was still sitting, arms crossed. "I was just-"

"Time travel, isn't it?"

"Y-yes. How'd you know?"

Wild shrugged, not wanting to explain it to him yet. He still needed more information. "Why'd you use it?"

Time shuddered but sat down across from the champion, slumping over in defeat. "Something happened, or will happen, and I came back to stop it. To stop everyone from..."

"How many times?" Wild's voice shook with anticipation and excitement. He might be able to get free if he finds out, or at least he won't be totally alone-

"Just once," Time responded, destroying Wild's hope. The same mask fell back over Time's features. "And it won't happen again. Go back to sleep WIld, I'll finish up my watch."

Wild watched him walk away, mentally readying himself for the same day.

━━━O━━━

Wild was sick of the sight of that fucking ocarina by now. He called Time over and pointed to it.

“So time travel.”

Time jerked in shock. “How’d you-“

“I have something to tell you.”

Wild explained what’d been happening, reducing the number of loops to just 5 to not worry the older hero too much. Time’s expression turned from one of confusion to anger and then settling on a mixture of guilt and horror. When Wild finished, they sat in silence for a while.

“I’m sorry.”

Wild crossed his arms and exhaled tiredly, speaking in a flat voice. “There’s no need to be, it’s not your fault.” He paused and decided to ask the question. “Is there any way to stop it?”

Time transferred the ocarina from hand to hand nervously. It grated on Wild’s already thin nerves.

“...”

“Time?”

His hands stopped abruptly and he met Wild’s gaze. His expression was unreadable, but Wild didn’t care enough to try and decipher it. The pit of dread that’d planted itself firmly in his spirit and had been growing strong seemed to fully mature at Time’s silence.

“I don’t know if there is.”

The first thing Wild saw was a blue ocarina.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time loop tingz. I've been wanting to write something like this for a while, but now seems like an appropriate time to do it. And Time has been the only thing on my mind lately.
> 
> So a few things you might've noticed:  
> 1\. I put a 40 chapter cap on the number of chapters for this  
> 2\. I took the ask for requests out  
> 3\. I've taken a while to update
> 
> So basically, I'm ending this at 40 chapters. Not because I don't have any ideas, but I've got way too many that don't necessarily pertain to Wild or BOTW, and I know this won't last for 300 chapters. Because of that, no more requests :( but only because I need to finish the ones I already have and also write the stuff that I want to write. And as for the week gap in between chapters, yea I just could not bring myself to write for some reason. 
> 
> If you've made a request, it's most likely coming unless the idea fell through, so stay tuned :) And they'll be great, I promise. Till next time!


	26. Storyteller

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For The Bald Action Man  
> I have a request: Link comes to Rito Village to liberate Vah Medoh but finds a man in a long green hat, tunic, and a black eyepatch telling a crowd the story of how he and Teba destroyed the Divine Beast and then slayed the "Masked Guardian"...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lowkey, this was a toughie, mostly because I had no clue what to write. But I think it came out interesting, and a little mysterious

The first thing that let Link know something wasn’t right was the fact that a big, red laser cut across the night sky and suddenly started firing from Rito Village while he was in Hyrule Field, looking for a rumored set of armor. He blinked hard and rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things right. Vah Medoh was the Divine Beast he planned to conquer next, having finished Vah Ruta a few weeks ago. So why was it already firing at the castle? Link tapped his Sheikah Slate and teleported to the village, wrapping his cloak tighter around himself to avoid the cold.

Link approached the group gathered around the edge of the platform. A ring of torches was set up around them, as parents held their fledglings in their laps, both enthralled in the tale of the man. Kass was nowhere to be found, still traveling the land learning his master’s songs. One of the familiar faces was Teba’s, who was sitting close to the storyteller, arms crossed and his face with the usual drawn eyebrows and tight expression. As he stepped closer, the storyteller’s voice became clearer, sounding deep and captivating.

“...I found Teba at the flight range, where I was impressed by his archery and flying. I waited for him to descend to the platform when I asked him to aid me on my quest.”

Teba scowled. “You didn’t find me, old man, everyone knew I was there.” Link had only met the Rito once, at the flight range, where he proved his skills with a bow and paraglider, just like the man had said.

The storyteller rolled his eyes- eye since the other was covered with an eyepatch. Link moved closer to the center of the group, getting a better look at the man. His green tunic matched the color of the trees of the Korok Forest, a rather specific detail that Link’s brain provided. A strange cap sat atop his head, hiding a head full of bright blonde hair. His remaining eye was a deep blue. 

“Anyway, Teba only agreed after I promised to show him my own abilities. Although I can’t fly, I would consider myself a rather competent archer, and beat him in a head to head competition.”

“No way!” Cree shouted, receiving a firm bop on her head from her mother. The man grinned and nodded. 

“Beating me is a stretch,” Teba mumbled.

“Anyway, he agreed to take me up to Vah Medoh,” the man gestured to the Divine Beast that was perched atop the enormous rock. “Boarding it was difficult, but I somehow managed. The puzzles were difficult, but once I cleared them all, Windblight Ganon appeared.

“And how’d you beat him?!” One of the children exclaimed. He grinned.

“With my sword.” He tapped the enormous blade that was leaning against the fence to his side. “A little bit of magic,” he conjured up a small flame in his hand and the crowd, including Link, let out a collective breath of awe. “And this.”

Link squinted to try and make out what it was. He felt like he’d seen something like it before, in a past he'd never lived.

“What is it?” Huck asked.

“An ocarina.” The man turned the dark blue instrument over in his hands, smiling at it fondly. “It can play the most wonderful tunes, in the hands of the right person.”

Tulin made a face. “How’d you use that to beat a monster?”

The man chuckled and put the ocarina away. “In ways you couldn’t imagine. But that’s a story for another time. Where was I?... Oh yes, I defeated Windblight Ganon and the Divine Beast was thus freed. I was transported out and then it perched itself right there atop the village, firing at the Calamity to weaken it for the champion of old to one day rise again and put an end to the beast.”

Link looked up at the mechanical bird, chewing on his lip. The story sounded right, but it couldn’t be true. He was the champion, the only one left after 100 years, the only one who had the Sheikah Slate which was needed to unlock the terminals to free the beasts. And yet, Vah Medoh was passive, its beak firing consistently, unwavering at the castle. And again, someone else had to make up for his failure.

“Are you the Hero, then?” Saki asked, her eyes flicking with suspicion between her husband and the storyteller. The man sighed and combed his hair lightly with his hand.

“I don’t suppose the title is mine, but if that’s what you wish to call me, then very well.” He looked up at the stars sky, the moon that shone bright white instead of the glowing red in the night’s when Ganon’s power was at its height. 

Saki huffed and crossed her arms. “Well, you seem like one. And considering you took down the big thing yourself, you must be the descendant of the champion.”

Tulin perked up in his mother’s lap. “Yea! Like, he’s probably your great grand uncle or something!”

The man shook his head. “I’m not too sure what my own lineage even is, so my great grand uncle may very well have been a hero. But I don’t suppose it really matters now. I’ve done whatever I can to help the hero, whoever he may be.” Link isn’t sure if it’s just the light, but he thought he saw his eye briefly rest on himself.

“That can’t be true,” Saki says. She points to Link, who wasn’t even aware that she knew he was there, and tenses awkwardly as everyone’s attention turns to him. “This kid is the descendant of the hero.”

Teba looked at his wife hard. “Saki, I’ve seen this man take down the Divine Beast on his own. His skills are unrivaled, even by that kid.” He paused for a moment, watching Link with weariness and partial sadness. “And besides, he’s too young.”

“The champion from a hundred years ago was his age, and besides, he’s got the Hylian Shield and the Sword that Seals the Darkness. I think that’s proof enough.” She turned completely to Link. “Show them, Link.”

Link swallowed anxiously and fumbled with the Sheikah Slate on his hip, finger hovering over the sword and shield before resolving to show. The weapons materialized in a stream of blue light, the sword glowing a faint blue in the darkness. Several gasps of surprise resonated around the group of Rito. Link watch the man, trying to gauge his reaction. But instead of surprise or sheepishness of anger, the only emotion on his face was regret.

“I see,” he said, sighing before standing and grabbing his things. “I’m no longer needed here.”

Teba stared between the two of them with bewilderment. “But... I don’t understand... didn’t you take down the Windblight and meet Master Revali? How could he be the hero if he didn’t save the village?”

Link ignored the barrage of questions from other villagers (Saki thankful fended them off and admonished anyone who dared bother him), watching the exchange between Teba and the man. The storyteller glared at the Rito.

“He has done more than enough to prove himself worthy of the title. It is not one he carries lightly, nor that he would imposter.”

Teba’s feathers flared. “But he’s just a child.”

Link felt his lungs seize. He was just a kid, a stupid teen who was incapable of doing the one job he was born to do. He wasn’t able to handle the responsibility placed on him, and he’d already failed once. He promised he wouldn’t again, but it seemed like he’d already found a way to do just that.

“Yes, he is.” The man’s tone was racked with grief that Link didn’t understand. “But he’s far stronger and more courageous than most men can ever hope to be. Including myself.” He patted Teba on the shoulder and walked toward the entrance of the village, straight towards Link. The champion spluttered at his approach, quickly bracing himself for some sort of speech or angry comment. When he stopped in front of Link, he closed his eyes and waited when a gentle hand landed on his shoulder.

“I couldn’t be prouder, my boy.”

Link opened his eyes and looked at the man, but he was already gone, disappearing down the steps and into the night.

~

Around midnight, when the bright moon and reached its peak in the sky and Link was left staring at the stars dotting it, he thought he could make out the song of an ocarina, playing a lullaby from a time long past. He smiled at the sound of it and quickly felt himself being dragged gently to sleep, dreams of a blue fairy and a forest on his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, 12 days? Man, I’ve had like 0 drive to write anything new, so this one literally took FOREVER to write. But I did it :)  
> Happy Valentine’s Day, btw❤️


	27. Downpour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When it rains, it pours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was raining this morning so here's some comfort and semi-fluff because I’m sick of writing angsty stuff

Legend felt the first drop land on his cheek, sliding down his hot face slowly, mockingly. And somehow, his patience broke from just a bit of rain.

“Goddess fucking damnit why does it always fucking rain,” he cursed, tugging his hat further up his head. Twilight looked up and... sniffed the air? Legend watched in horror.

“Vet’s right, it’s aboutta rain.”

Wild sighed as he tapped on his slate. “No lightning but it’ll be raining for a few hours. We’re in Akkala, but too far away from Tarrey Town to be able to make it in time. There’s an abandoned house up ahead we can stay in for the night, just to wait out the storm.”

“The sooner we get there, the better,” Legend mumbled. Warriors laughed haughtily, causing the veteran to glare at him.

“What, are you going to melt with a little bit of rain? It’s just a light drizzle, Leg, relax. I’m sure the rain won’t wash out your pink little dye job, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Legend could feel the heat rising to his face and opened his mouth to yell something back when Time stepped in, stopping the argument with “the look” without even having to speak. Legend scowled and stomped over to Hyrule, who was still cheerily chatting away with Wind. Legend glanced up at the sea of grey above them. Worry crept up his chest. It was going to be a long, stormy night.

━━━O━━━

The fire danced in the fireplace, casting the small living room in shades of orange and yellow. Legend wrapped his blanket tighter around his shoulder, even though he was far from cold, and blew the steam off his tea. The shadows cast above the fireplace moved in childish ways, first taking the form of a rabbit before morphing into a wolf and then a swan. He looked back at Sky, who smiled at him sleepily and tucked his hands back under his cover, ending the shadow puppet show.

The sound of footsteps echoed quietly in tandem with the crackling of the fire, mostly drowning out the whistling wind and pounding of rain against the roof and windows. Legend felt his heart stutter nervously ever time the house creaked against the wind, worried the ancient structure might just be swept away in the storm. He set his tea down, suddenly unable to finish it, and scanned the rest of the group. They slept peacefully, Four bundled up in a giant chair he’d found in the corner with Wind and Wild tucked on both sides. Twilight was splayed out on the floor, Warriors and Sky heaved on top of him and Time nodding off in the corner. Legend felt joy light up at the sight. It was frankly adorable, and he wished he could join them, the traveler safely embraced in Legend’s-

Actually, where was Hyrule? He took one last panicked look, counting each body, looking wildly around the tiny house and out the window. He spotted a silhouette outside, standing in the storm. Legend’s heart dropped.

He scurried to his feet, tossing aside the blanket and rushing outside, hat and other belongings forgotten in his panic. He just needed to get Hyrule inside, where he was dry and safe from the storm. He opened the door and clenched his jaw hard at the sudden shock of cold wind and rain. Legend shielded his eyes from the water that blinded him and stomped over to Hyrule, whose face was turned up to the sky. He grabbed a handful of his tunic and tugged, getting the traveler’s attention.

“What the hell are you doing!?” He shouted over the storm. The dark clouds hid what little light was left from the setting sun and Legend only had the light from inside to thank for being able to see. But he was still somehow able to make out Hyrule’s smile. 

“Standing in the rain,” he stated. Legend stared at him, disbelieving for a moment before shaking it away and tugging again.

“You need to come in! It’s dangerous out here!” Hyrule stood his ground, unmoving. Legend cursed and shouted again. “Why won't you move!?”

“I don’t want to miss this.”

Legend raised an eyebrow, not that Hyrule would’ve seen it. “It’s just rain.”

Hyrule shook his head, rain flying off his face and soaking hair in every direction. “It’s not something my Hyrule sees often. Or at all.”

Legend loosened his grip on Hyrule’s tunic and turned his head up, feeling the rain land on his face. He remembered going to Hyrule’s era, seeing a kingdom in recovery, still healing. And he only remembered it ever raining once, and the enormous grin Hyrule had plastered on his face while Legend and the others besides Wild complained. The way Hyrule watched the droplets gather and slide slowly of tree leaves, the dew the morning after it’d rained, the plants shinning in the early morning light. The grey sky swirled together in a mass of clouds, hiding the true color of the sky. But the rain had let up just a bit, and a sigh from the traveler redirected Legend’s thoughts. 

“I miss it sometimes,” he breathed. “This.”

Legend looked forward, taking in the smell of wet earth and the damp, eternal autumn leaves of the surrounding trees. The anxieties and fear that’d driven him outside early had vanished completely the instant Hyrule grabbed his hand. 

“Me too,” Legend said.

━━━O━━━

Sky ruffled his hair with towel more than was necessary and was quickly batted away by Legend’s irritated hand.

“Ok ok I’m dry, alright?!” 

The Chosen Hero gave him an unamused look but relented possession of the towel over to Legend, who began drying the back of his neck.

“But seriously, what were you guys thinking?!” Twilight said in exasperation, pacing in front of the mostly soaked but starting to dry Hyrule and Legend as he spoke. “Just standing outside in the middle of a storm when everyone was asleep. In what world was that a good idea?”

“Mine,” Wild whispered, or at least tried to, but it quickly became obvious he failed when Time glared at him. Hyrule fiddled with his hands and had a sheepish look on his face.

“It was-“

“My idea,” Legend finished. He felt Hyrule’s eyes on him but didn’t stop. “I thought I saw something outside and enlisted his help to check it out, but it amounted to nothing and the rain picked up by the time we started making our way back.” 

Twilight narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but Wild spoke up before he could start cross examining his statement.

“There were a few more Guardians active here than other areas during my adventure,” he added. “Maybe they saw one of them?”

Twilight looked between the three heroes, turned to Time who only shrugged, and sighed, pushing his bangs back from his face tiredly.

“Fine, whatever. Just don’t do that again please. I don’t want anyone to get swallowed up by a storm.” Hyrule nodded enthusiastically while Legend followed, not intending to let that happen, again. Twilight turned but stopped and said, “and if either one of you are sick, I will not be happy.”

Legend rolled his eyes and looked at Hyrule when he felt his hand rest on his shoulder. The traveler grinned. 

“Thanks, Legend.”

The veteran bit his lip, trying to suppress a smile of his own, but let it slip. Just for him. “Anytime, Rule.”

* * *

  
**BONUS:**

Legend: *sneezes* fuck

*Twilight appears behind him holding a cucco menacingly*

Twi: So you have chosen death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very un-BOTW, a rarity. But it's in Akkala, so it counts :)
> 
> Besides, Legend and Rule are just❤️


	28. 4th Anniversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Jewelia: I have a suggestion: Impa invited Link over for dinner to celebrate the liberation of the four Divine Beasts and completion of all 120 shines and allowed him to bring a friend if he so desired. Link's guest is a seemingly 30 year old Shiekah that he says is an aincent monk named Maz Koshia. Somehow Koshia was "rehydrated" as Link puts it and is going to be an advisor to Zelda once the monarchy is restored.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CRACK!!!!
> 
> Happy Anniversary to my first Zelda game and favorite game of all time, because I'm obviously biased :)

Impa lit the lantern by her desk, slowly raising her pencil and putting it to the paper. She sighed, considering then reconsidering whether this was truly a good idea or not, before resolving that it was worth whatever headache it’d cause her. She began writing.

....

_ Link, Hero of the Wilds, Champion of Hyrule~ _

_ You are cordially invited to Kakariko Village for a festival in your honor. We will be feasting in following the tradition of the Hero’s Banquet, in celebration of four years free of Calamity Gabon’s hold, thanks to your and Princess Zelda’s century-long efforts to oppose him. We eagerly await your presence. _

_ ~Esteemed Royal Advisor and Sheikah Elder, Impa _

....

She set down the pencil, running her eyes over the page before picking it back up and quickly writing:

_ Feel welcomed to bring a plus one. _

She instantly regretted the change.

━━━O━━━

“Four years,” Zelda breathed, listening to Link struggle to pick an apple from the tree. “Quite a while longer than I thought.”

Link grunted in response. She bit back a chuckle as she heard him stumble and probably hit his head against the trunk.

“A feast... I wonder who else Impa invited. I suppose the new champions will join us as well, though I haven’t seen any of them arrive yet. Perhaps they’re staying at a nearby inn.” She hummed in satisfaction at that line of thought. She didn’t notice Link placing a bomb under his feet and precariously angling his shield. “I, of course, invited someone but who...” she chuckled, “I cannot her say, but I assure you it will be most surprising. I will be very excited to see your reaction.”

She suddenly turned to Link, who froze with his finger in mid-air, hovering above the detonate button on the slate. She blinked. Several times in fact. Before she turned away, apparently not having seen anything or too caught up in her daydreams to comprehend what was happening. Link felt his heart calm and prepared himself again as Zelda rattled on.

“I do wonder, who did you invite? I’m sure you know plenty of people, but I haven’t seen you write any letters lately or make any- In the name of Hylia and the Three, WHAT ARE YOU DOING LINK!!??”

But her cries weren’t heard as the hero sailed through the air, body flying limply away into the distance, never to be seen again, except he was, but much later and certainly not in top condition.

(Beedle will never forget the day Link came flying out of the air, landing with a harsh thump in the thorny bushes just a bit away from him. The merchant stumbled over to his friend, prodding the arm that stuck out to see if he was alive. 

‘How much for a stack of arrows?’ His arm signed)

━━━O━━━

“It’s very good to see you, my friend!” Sidon says brightly, scooping up the oddly disheveled Hylian into a hug. Link doesn’t fight it, not that he wants to. He waits until he’s set back down to sign.

‘It’s great to see you too, Sidon, but didn’t I stop by the Domain last week?’

“You did, but a moment without you is truly a torturous eternity.” Link blushed madly at that until Yunobo shoved a gift into his hands

“Happy birthday Link!” The Goron shouted nervously. “I uh, didn’t know what your favorite rock was so I just got them all.”

Link opened the box, peeking inside to find a pile of different gems. He smiled warmly at his friend and nodded in thanks.

“It’s not his birthday, you know, just the anniversary of defeating the Calamity.” Riju sat cross-legged next to Paya with Teba at her side. “But I would like to know who exactly you invited.”

Link smiled, a horrifyingly smug smile. ‘Oh you’ll-‘

“I’m here!”

The group turned their attention from the hero to the doorway, where a tall man with long silver hair burst into the building. He mumbled curses as he tried to fit his enormous hat through before just resolving to take it off. Not that anybody noticed though, since they were all staring at his shirtless chest.

“Link, why in the name of the goddess is this doorway so damn small?” The mystery guest said, squinting his crimson eyes in irritation. Link giggled and hurried over to grab the hat, setting it on the frankly small coat rack.

‘Everyone this is my guest. Monk Maz Koshia.’

Impa nearly spat out her drink. The monk waved casually.

“What’s up?”

━━━O━━━

The dinner settled into a kind of strange rhythm that Zelda wasn’t sure how to feel about. Paya and Sidon sat on either side of the hero and his friend, both of them positively flustered and hardly able to get a word out without burning bright red (or blue in Sidon’s case). Impa looked like she was losing her mind, Riju laughing at the Zora prince while Yunobo was completely lost and just sipping on his drink. Zelda listened into the Monk- Maz, he insisted they call him, conversation with the others.

“Yea I was like, dead for...” he blew a raspberry and leaned back, showing off his magnificent chest to the world. Zelda almost dropped her cup. “Dunno like 10,000 years or something.”

“T-t-tha-thats amazing!” Pays stuttered. “How are you alive now?”

Maz shrugged. “Technology and stuff. Nothing I can explain in a way you’d understand.”

Sidon exhaled (breathless?) and moved closer to Maz. “Our hero went through a similar thing not too long ago.”

Link nodded drunkenly, apparently having only downed one glass of whatever Riju brought and completely losing his sobriety.

‘Yup, and I’ll do it again.’

Zelda rolled her eyes. “You better not. I’d rather not have a century more of stress please.”

“I still don’t understand,” Impa whispered. “How are you...”

“Here?” Maz finished, taking a bite of food. He hummed loudly in thought. “When link finished all 120 shrines, freed the Divine Beasts, and bested me in battle, my soul was free to move on. But, he insisted I follow him to Hateno. I did and then he led me to this creepy alley-“

‘It was not a creepy alley, it was a creepy pond,’ Link interjected. Maz waved his hand.

“Sure, anyway he talked to this statue thing and handed over some of his heart containers-“

“WHAT!!??” Zelda screamed, slamming her hand on the table. “What did you do?!”

Link sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. ‘I Uh might’ve handed over some of my life energy to bring Maz back to life,’ he signed. ‘Sorry.’

Zelda sighed bitterly and flared at her champion. “You and I will be having a nice, long chat about your life energy situation.” She pointed harshly at Maz who jerked back. “And you too, Mr. Sheikah Monk who apparently knew the hero was going to fall 10,000 years before he did and decided not to say anything about it.”

“Wha-“ Paya began.

“Yes ma’am,” Maz quickly said. He pulled out a deck of cards and showed off some tricks with a panicked look. “H-hey who wants to play cards?”

Zelda opened her mouth to speak before stopping abruptly and smiling. She clapped her hands gleefully and said, "They're here!!"

A white portal suddenly appeared above them, prompting the new champions to sigh and get ready to be dragged into another timeline. Instead, two and a half people (?) feel through the portal, crashing straight onto the table. They stood with a groan when a person who looked suspiciously like-- no, she was the princess, "but from that world where everything didn't go to hell" Riju whispered helpfully.

"Are we late?" Other Zelda said, rubbing her behind.

"Nope! Just on time," Zelda (this is getting confusing, Impa thought) said.

Other Link who was holding an... egg? squinted at Maz. 'Who's that?' he signed.

Maz waved lazily. "Monk Maz Koshia, what's up Other Link?"

Impa watched the whole encounter occur while a headache pounded in her head. She rubbed her temples tiredly, trying to understand what the hell was going on.

"Wait," Other Zelda said. "How is he here? Why does he look so..."

'Hot?' Other Link finished, which Link vigorously nodded to.

Maz laughed loudly. "Rehydrated."

And Impa stopped thinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4 years? That's insane, I remember when this game was announced. I didn't really care then because the only games I played were the Sims 3 and Subway Surfer, so I wasn't really around (?) for its release (even though I VIVIDLY remember Skyward Sword's release for some reason). Anyway, I very clearly love this game and everything about it and I suffer every day there is no news on its sequel. Pain, pure pain.
> 
> Also, if you read Timeless Farewells then you probably already know this but I've somehow gotten on the Final Fantasy 7 fanfic train (don't ask) and now I can't get off, so Maz Koshia basically looks like a less evil version of Sephiroth.

**Author's Note:**

> I've got a tumblr now that updates occasional fanfics, WIPs, and fanart. Check it out if you want: http://zaypay.tumblr.com/  
> Thanks and see you next time!


End file.
